INDEPENDENT TD Michael Lowry told his Dáil colleagues last night that he had no intention of resigning his seat, in spite of a motion calling on him to do so.
The party whips last night agreed the terms of a motion that will be debated in the Dáil this morning.
It reads: “The Dáil believes the conduct of Michael Lowry set out in the tribunal report was completely unacceptable and calls on Deputy Lowry to resign voluntarily his membership of Dáil Éireann.”
Mr Lowry last night accused Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and others of making him a political football by devising a politically convenient censure motion.
“It is my intention to make a contribution to that debate but I will not give my detractors the satisfaction of putting this motion to a vote,” he said.
“I wish to advise that I have no intention of resigning my position as a democratically elected representative of this House. I will not walk away from the overwhelming mandate that was given to me by the constituents of North Tipperary-South Offaly. “Contrary to what might be suggested in the media, the constituents of North Tipperary are every bit as intelligent and politically sophisticated as their counterparts anywhere else in the country,” he added. “I am proud to serve them.”
Earlier in the debate, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said the Dáil did not have the power for force Mr Lowry to resign his seat. “This House doesn’t have the constitutional authority to deny anybody access here if they are elected by an electorate from whatever part of the country,” he said.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin accepted that the Dáil could not compel a resignation but said it could express its belief that there should be one. “It’s about the Dáil making a statement in as concrete and determined a fashion it can about the behaviour of Deputy Lowry as found by the Moriarty tribunal.”
He challenged Mr Kenny to say whether he accepted the inquiry’s conclusions, but the Taoiseach took a swipe at Mr Martin.
“You sat on these benches, you travelled the world on behalf of the people of this country, simply because Deputy Lowry and others had secret deals with you that you refused to publish.”
Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan was the subject of a number of attacks from Fianna Fáil for telling the tribunal he had no recollection of meeting Denis O’Brien and estate agent Mark FitzGerald in a Dublin restaurant in October 1995. The Moriarty tribunal accepted that the meeting had taken place.
“I would ask the members on all sides, and indeed the public,” Mr Hogan said, “to accept my bona fides in relation to this matter and to acknowledge it is very far-fetched indeed that an alleged meeting in a coffee shop by a backbench deputy could result in influencing the outcome of a mobile telephone competition.”