Moriarty tribunal will not reopen, says Kenny

There would be no reopening of tribunals that had reported to the Oireachtas, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said.

He said that when people went before a tribunal, he or she made an oath to tell the truth. “If people have access to information, I suggest they should bring it to the appropriate authorities.’’

He was replying to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who said the Oireachtas should facilitate a re-examination by the Moriarty tribunal of issues raised in the transcript of a telephone conversation involving Independent TD Michael Lowry.

In the transcript, which was published by the Sunday Independent, Mr Lowry spoke of a payment, apparently of €250,000, he made to Kevin Phelan, an Omagh, Co Tyrone, land agent.

Mr Martin said the transcript’s revelations were “quite dramatic and startling’’. What concerned him most, as one of Dáil members who set up the tribunal, was whether it was continually undermined in its efforts to get to the full truth of the issues it was investigating.

He said that Fianna Fáil Senator Diarmuid Wilson had received documentation from Mr Phelan giving details of about 60 meetings attended by Mr Lowry relating to the so-called Doncaster deal.

“The Senator has forwarded the material to the chairman of the tribunal and understands there are other related issues that will come down the tracks and has undertaken to send any material he receives directly to the tribunal chairman.”

Mr Kenny said that when the Oireachtas set up a tribunal, it had no further function in the matter. “The allegations or comments made by the deputy could have been applied to a number of other personalities in other tribunals also.”

He added that the Moriarty tribunal had made recommendations on breaking the link between big money and politics and that had been achieved through the enactment of the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill, which effectively banned corporate donations.

Mr Kenny said the Government had also supported a motion of censure against Mr Lowry in 2011. It was well advanced in preparing comprehensive legislation dealing with whistleblowers.

Mr Martin said that nobody had denied the veracity of the transcript. At a minimum, the material that emerged into the public domain cast doubt on the level of co-operation afforded to the tribunal and on the truthfulness of the evidence provided.

Mr Kenny said he would remind Mr Martin that the same Mr Lowry had kept his Fianna Fáil government in office.