First elected to Tipperary North Riding County Council in 1979, Michael Lowry was elected as a Fine Gael TD for Tipperary North in 1987 before becoming chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party in 1993.

A year later, he led the Fine Gael negotiations that resulted in the formation of the Rainbow government under John Bruton with Labour and Democratic Left and he was subsequently appointed minister for transport.

The Moriarty Tribunal, established in 1997 to probe Payments to Politicians and Related Matters, found he had had an “insidious and pervasive” influence over the awarding of a mobile phone licence to Denis O’Brien’s Esat Digifone company.

Despite the controversy, he has now won seven consecutive elections as an independent TD, consistently topping the polls each time.

Separated from his wife Catherine McGrath, who he married in 1981, the 71-year-old is a father of three.

His son Michéal Lowry is a councillor on Tipperary County Council.