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Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Former Fine Gael minister, Independent TD Michael Lowry
# Moriarty Tribunal
Taoiseach 'has no intention' of re-opening Moriarty Tribunal
Enda Kenny was asked by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin about reopening the Tribunal following an article about Michael Lowry published at the weekend.
TAOISEACH ENDA KENNY has said that he has no intention of re-opening the Moriarty Tribunal – or any other tribunal.
He made the comment during Leaders’ Questions today, when questioned by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin.
Re-examination
Deputy Martin asked him if he would facilitate re-examination of new issues related to the Moriarty Tribunal, by a tribunal of inquiry. He made the comments in relation to an article in the Sunday Independent at the weekend that contained a transcript of a conversation between Deputy Michael Lowry and land agent Kevin Phelan that mentioned a previously undisclosed sum of between €200,000 – €250,000.
However, the Taoiseach said that when a tribunal is set up by the houses of Oireachtas, the Oireachtas has no further function. Kenny said he agreed with Martin that if any information comes to light it should be forwarded to the appropriate authorities as well, but that whether there was any validity or veracity to the transcript “it’s not for me to judge”.
While Martin said that “there is enough new material there for this house to revisit the issue”, and questioned if the new information means that the tribunal “might have been fatally undermined” and if that concerned the Taoiseach, Kenny said that the comments he made could have been applied to a number of other personalities in other tribunals also.
Martin said no one has denied the veracity of the transcript and that he believed “there’s enough new material there for his house to revisit the issue”.
The Taoiseach said he has “no intention to re-open the tribunal or any other tribunal”. “If there is information out there that somebody has access to, I would suggest they bring that information to the appropriate authorities,” he said.
Read: Lowry: Payment in taped conversation was tax compliant>
