Moriarty report to be sent to DPP – Taoiseach
Enda Kenny told the Dáil today that he has asked Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte to refer the Moriarty report to the Director for Public Prosecutions and to the Garda Commissioner.
The damning report found that Michael Lowry, the then minister for transport, energy and communications, “without doubt” helped Denis O’Brien secure Ireland’s second mobile phone licence for his company, Esat Digifone, in 1995.
Opposition has seized the opportunity to criticise the new government as six current ministers were cabinet members at the time of the bidding war.
“This was a government decision. The principle of collective cabinet responsibility applies here. Of the present Government, six ministers sat around that table including the Taoiseach himself,” Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said today, before calling for the resignation of Lowry.
“Despite the fact that he has been returned and elected time and time again, his behaviour in relation to this was appalling. I think he should consider his position in terms of the damning nature of the report,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
The report will be debated in the Dáil next week, the Taoiseach said today. Party whips are meeting at 5pm today to discuss the issue.
Kenny himself will be expected to answer questions relating to a $50,000 donation to Fine Gael by Esat Digifone.
He was pressed for answers today but said he needed time to read and consider the report.
He did concede that the donation from Esat was wrong and he regretted the “circuitous route” by which it was sent back to the donor.