Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)

I will conclude by saying that I wish to return to the suggestions that I received money from Denis O'Brien through three property transactions. I wish to be crystal clear in this regard. I received no money from Denis O'Brien with regard to these or any other matters. No witnesses gave evidence to the tribunal in the past decade supporting the tribunal's conclusions. The tribunal's opinions in these matters are therefore based entirely on circumstantial evidence and on unproven documents, many of which are unknown or of dubious origin. People in this House have told me I have had ample opportunity in 14 years to make my case. I have not had ample opportunity. I asked Mr. Moriarty to allow me to return to give evidence but he would not allow me to do so. I ended up at the tribunal because I had been waiting 14 years with a legal team who have been exceptionally good and who had no funds available to them from me. I ended up having to defend myself. I find myself here tonight defending myself. I have been given a slot of one hour while at the same time everybody will be able to have a pop at me over the next two days.

My final comment is that I did nothing wrong with the licence process. I received no money from those involved. I welcome the fact that the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Criminal Assets Bureau, and anybody else, will investigate it. There will be no money trail coming back to Michael Lowry's door because there never was money and there is no money. I say to the losing applicants and to the people saying there was something wrong with the licence to go to the courts, test it in the courts, put their money on the legal benches where it counts and they will get the answer from the courts because the courts will base their answer and their results on evidence and facts, not on innuendo and supposition.

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