Who is the “profoundly corrupt” politician who keeps getting re-elected?

The name Michael Lowry has been mentioned heavily in the press over the past few weeks. The 70 year old Tipperary North Independent TD is undeniably one of the most controversial names in Irish politics right now, and his heavy involvement in the government formation talks have has re-ignighted a focus on his controversial past.

Once a rising star in Fine Gael, Lowry’s career has been overshadowed by corruption allegations, financial impropriety, and tribunal findings that labeled his actions as “profoundly corrupt.” Yet, despite these controversies, he remains one of the most electorally resilient politicians in Ireland. Here’s a brief summary to his checkered past:

Rise in Fine Gael

Lowry was first elected as a Fine Gael TD in 1987 and quickly became a prominent figure within the party. His reputation as a strong constituency representative and his business background helped him secure a ministerial position in the Rainbow Coalition government of 1994.

The McCracken report, Dunnes Scandal

The McCracken report investigated payments to politicians by Dunnes Stores. The report revealed that Lowry received hundreds of thousands of pounds from Dunnes Stores through disguised payments, including a £395,000 (€500,000) home renovation falsely billed to a Dunnes project. While serving in key political roles he engaged in systematic tax evasion. In 2007, Lowry and Garuda Ltd settled a €1.4 million tax bill with the Revenue Commissioners. A decade later, in 2018, he was convicted of filing incorrect tax returns and fined €25k.

The Moriarty Tribunal

Following the publication of the McCracken report, the Oireachtas set up the Moriarty investigation to look at payments to politicians from all sources, not just Dunnes Stores. The tribunal found that, as Minister for Communications, Lowry had “secured the winning” of a lucrative mobile phone license for businessman Denis O’Brien’s Esat Digifone in the mid-1990s. This deal catapulted O’Brien into the ranks of Ireland’s wealthiest individuals.

The report also uncovered that O’Brien had paid Lowry, including a £147,000 (€187,000) payment in 1996, while Lowry was still a government minister. The tribunal concluded that these payments were directly linked to Lowry’s influence over the license process. Lowry and O’Brien rejecting the findings, but the conclusions of the tribunal remain official and unchallenged in court. In 2011, following the publication of the Moriarty Tribunal’s second report, the Dáil unanimously passed a motion declaring Lowry’s conduct “completely unacceptable” and calling for his resignation. He refused to step down.

Why Hasn’t Lowry Resigned?

Despite these scandals, Lowry has remained a TD Tipperary, topping the polls in every general election since 1997. His enduring popularity is attributed to strong local support and lack of legal consequences even after the tribunals found him guilty. By avoiding prison time he was able to continue his career in politics. In 2012, Lowry told The Irish Times that he remained in politics because he enjoys it, believes he has contributed to his constituency, and refuses to let the media “run him out” of office.

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