THE Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, has attempted to end any perceived link between Fine Gael and former Minister Mr Michael Lowry, by announcing that her party is determined to take his Dail seat in North Tipperary.
Mrs Owen said yesterday that she wanted to "get rid of any confusion among people in North Tipperary who might think that a vote for Michael is a vote for the party. Michael is not in the party and there is no indication if he ever will be again", she said.
Mrs Owen's tough stance is a response to claims by Fianna Fail and the Progressive Democrats that her party has not cut its link with Mr Lowry. Yesterday Fianna Fail's Mr Noel Dempsey repeated that "Fine Gael is keeping its options open about Michael Lowry.
Fine Gael, however, appears determined to end any perception of a residual link between Mr Lowry and the party, believing this will damage Fine Gael. The party's former general secretary, Mr Finbar Fitzpatrick, has been based full time in the North Tipperary constituency to manage the campaign of the Fine Gael candidate, Mr Tom Berkery.
"We are determined to take the seat," said Mrs Owen. She said she did not agree with the common assumption that Mr Lowry would retain his seat.
Referring to Mr Lowry's future, she said he still had to give evidence to the Dunne payments tribunal and to "sort out a lot of things". She said it was sad for the party to have to do this, but the reality was that "I don't envisage him being in the party in the next Dail or ever, but who can say what will happen in the future".
In the event of a hung Dail, Fine Gael would not be seeking Mr Lowry's vote in the Dail if he is reelected.
Mr Dempsey, however, said that Mrs Owen was being "profoundly hypocritical. Only this week on Morning Ireland senior Fine Gael backbencher Jim Mitchell revealed that Fine Gael would in fact be relying on Michael Lowry's vote.
"Despite Nora Owen's entreaties it is clear that Fine Gael is keeping its options open about Michael Lowry. Today's comment is but the latest Fine Gael U turn.
"Fine Gael is making a rearguard attempt to disguise its true intentions for John Bruton's `forever friend'. Official Fine Gael policy is one thing but this week Jim Mitchell revealed his party's true intentions," Mr Dempsey said.