The development has thrown the spotlight on government formation talks, but the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are confident Mr Lowry will remain a background figure, even as he engineers participation in power by the Regional Independents.
The Irish Independent understands Mr Lowry personally reassured Micheál Martin and Simon Harris that he was not seeking public office for himself.
In a statement yesterday afternoon, Mr Lowry said he met gardaí last year over the Moriarty Report.
“I learnt, with surprise, from newspaper reports this morning that it has been stated that a file has been sent by An Garda Síochána to the DPP arising from findings of the Moriarty Tribunal,” he said. “Last year, I received a request for assistance from An Garda Síochána. I freely, voluntarily and willingly met with them on one occasion and was fully co-operative. This was the only engagement or correspondence I had with the gardaí over the 14 years since the report was published.
“At no point, on that occasion or since, was it suggested that there were or are any charges being contemplated against me. I am fully confident that there is no basis for any liability attaching to me.
Taoiseach and Tanaiste refuse to comment on trust in Lowry
“All those involved, including myself, have steadfastly maintained that there was no wrongdoing or impropriety attached to the award of the GSM licence, some 29 years ago.
“The award of the licence was made after a fully fair process, which included experienced members of the civil service and independent professional experts.
“Furthermore, the State, through the Chief State Solicitor’s office have consistently and vigorously defended the award of the licence in long drawn-out speculative civil cases taken by (just) two of the unsuccessful applicants.”
Gardaí confirmed that a file relating to its investigations around the findings of the tribunal has been forwarded to the Office of the DPP – 14 years after the tribunal’s final report.
The DPP’s office now has to decide if any person investigated has a criminal case to answer.
The Regional Independents Group has included Mr Lowry among seven TDs who are willing to negotiate as a bloc.
Last year, it was reported Mr Lowry was interviewed by Criminal Assets Bureau gardaí, who are investigating matters related to the Moriarty Tribunal.
The tribunal was set up in 1997 to examine payments made to former taoiseach Charles Haughey and Mr Lowry.
In 2011, it also found that as communications minister Mr Lowry helped businessman Denis O’Brien secure the State’s second mobile phone licence for his company Esat Digifone in 1995.
The tribunal criticised Mr Lowry’s behaviour as “profoundly corrupt”.
The Tipperary TD last month engineered the election of Independent Deputy Verona Murphy as Ireland’s first female Ceann Comhairle. He was expected to shepherd the rest of the Regional Independent into the pen of the emerging Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael coalition.
Speculation has focused on Independents Seán Canney and Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran as potential ministers in a coalition, with Mr Lowry remaining on the sidelines. Nonetheless, his apparent role as puppet-master has drawn criticism, and forced politicians on to the defensive yesterday.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who called on Mr Lowry to consider his position as a TD when the scandals first broke, said: “There certainly are issues, in the context of what has transpired now, to be reflected on.”
No one was a “kingmaker” in negotiations with the Regional Independent Group, he added, saying Mr Lowry would not hold ministerial office.
Simon Harris was also asked about the developments as he attended the annual BT Young Scientist Exhibition at the RDS, and whether Mr Lowry was “trustworthy”. He replied that, on a personal level, he respected the mandate of every individual member of Dáil Éireann, elected by the people.
He added: “It’s very important that nobody in political life says anything to cut across any independent processes that may or may not be under way. But I think the reality here is there’s a number of independent democratically elected members of Dáil Éireann who have come together in what they call a Regional Independent Group.
“They have expressed a willingness to engage with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in terms of providing stable government for the next number of years. We’ve yet to sit down with them actually as a group.”
Members of the group had gone to ground last night, but a source close to one of them denied there was any skittishness on the issue. Another source said: “Least said, soonest mended.”
The two main parties, meanwhile, had a consultation yesterday with the four-strong Independent Ireland group, but there is as yet no sign that these may be adopted in place of the Regional Independents.
