|
|
In a text message to his constituency members today, Tipperary North Independent TD Michael Lowry has issued an invitation to all “to attend a meeting in the Anner Hotel at 8.30 pm (24/3/2011) sharp tonight, to discuss the Moriarty report.”
Meanwhile, two members of the board of management at Borrisokane Community College have resigned in protest after it emerged that students were circulated with political letters by Tipperary North Independent TD Michael Lowry.
 Letter circulated to parents via students Mr Lowry has already defended the decision to give hundreds of letters to schoolchildren at the school, which outlined his success in securing a future new school building for the area.
Fianna Fáil councillor Jim Casey and high profile and successful community leader Rev.Canon Stephen Neill, have regrettably now both tendered their resignations from the board of management of this school.
The letters, which were given to students in Oireachtas envelopes to pass on to their parents, state that Mr Lowry played a key role in securing a new school building for this Community College.
The letter states that it was a “primary condition” of his support for the Fianna Fáil-led government.
“Using my influence . . . I ensured the community school was rapidly brought beyond the planning stage, that the project was brought to the top of the school building priority list, and that an irreversible decision was made to fund same.”
In a statement to the board on Monday last, Canon Stephen Neill stated that he felt that both the pupils of the school and the principal were victims of what a fellow board member, councillor Virginia O’Dowd, had described as ‘cute hoor‘ politics.
Canon Neill stated that if one person was to be singled out for credit for the new school building it was the principal Mr Mathew Carr, himself. He further stated that regardless of whatever leverage Mr Lowry was able to exert on the outgoing government, his actions represented “the worst of parish pump politics and is hardly something to celebrate or use children to promote.”
Canon Neill posted the full text of his statement on his high traffic blog today, stating it was with “huge regret and sadness” that he was taking this action.
The school principal Mr Mathew Carr has said that from time to time the college receives material for distribution to parents and students, and the school facilitated these requests as a matter of course, providing the material did not contain anything objectionable. Written correspondences is distributed by the school in order to protect personal data of students.
The second and final report of the Moriarty Tribunal has been finally published.
This inquiry was initially established in 1997, to examine the financial affairs of former Taoiseach Charles James ‘Charlie’ Haughey and former Fine Gael Communications Minister and newly elected Tipperary North Constituency Independent TD, Michael Lowry.
 Deputy M. Lowry This newly published final report (For Report click Here) details the investigation into possible links between businessman Denis O’Brien and Michael Lowry.
Ireland’s second mobile phone licence was awarded to Denis O’Brien’s company Digifone in 1995. Mr Lowry was then Communications Minister when the controversial mobile phone licence was granted.
The report states that it is ‘beyond doubt ‘ that Michael Lowry imparted substantive information to Denis O’Brien which was ‘of significant value and assistance to him (Denis O’Brien) in securing the licence.‘
The report refers to Mr Lowry’s ‘cynical and venal abuse of office,‘ his ‘brazen refusal ‘ to acknowledge the ‘impropriety ‘ of his financial arrangements with Mr O’Brien and Mr Ben Dunne, and his ‘contemptuous disregard ‘ for his taxation obligations.
The report is also damning of evidence given by the North Tipp Deputy to the Tribunal, stating that his evidence was ‘formulaic, and entirely inconsistent and at variance with evidence.‘
Deputy Michael Lowry stated in a response, that he totally rejects the tenure of the Moriarty report. “His report is factually wrong and deliberately misleading. Moriarty has outrageously abused the Tribunal’s ability to form opinions which are not substantiated by evidence or fact.”
In a statement following this latest publication Mr Denis O’Brien said, “I wish to state in the most categoric terms, once again, that I never made any payment to Michael Lowry in his capacity as a government minister, as a public representative or as a private citizen. I believe it is unprecedented in the history of this country that a High Court judge would make such fundamental errors which went to the heart of the credibility and integrity of a Tribunal process.”
Fine Gael Taoiseach Enda Kenny has stated, “This is a report that deserves serious analysis and it will get that from this Government.” He said, “This is a matter of grave importance with major implications for the State and for the taxpayer.”
Taoiseach Enda Kenny told the Dáil a short time ago that members of of his Party would be available to answer questions in the Dáil, regarding any part they played in the awarding of the mobile phone licence to Esat Digiphone, in 1995.
This reports findings now raises profound questions, regarding Mr Michael Lowry’s suitability to remain in public Office.
Deputy Noel Coonan has warmly greeted the news that US President Barack Obama will visit Moneygall in May and highly complimented the efforts of Rev Canon Stephen Neill and the residents of Moneygall, in helping to secure this visit.
The local Fine Gael TD spoke with Taoiseach Enda Kenny prior to his St. Patrick’s Day trip to the US last week and hand delivered documents, from Canon Neill, to the Taoiseach which were then taken to America.
 School & Templeharry Church, where US President Barack Obama's ancestors attended. These same documents outlined the President’s strong ancestral history in Moneygall ( Village name means ‘shrubbery of the foreigners.’) and Deputy Coonan said he is pleased that his efforts have further assisted this historical visit to come to fruition.
Deputy Coonan stated: “I look forward with great excitement to President Obama’s visit, which will also be a huge tourism boost to this area. The people of Moneygall have shown great patience, good will and dedication to ensure that this visit materialises and those same traits will be fully recognised when President Obama comes to our constituency in May next. It will be indeed a momentous and uplifting occasion for our constituency.”
View Update
 US President Barack Obama accepts invitation from An Taoiseach Enda Kenny Its official, US President Barack Obama has accepted an invitation from An Taoiseach Enda Kenny, to visit Moneygall, latter situated on the borders of Offaly and Tipperary, here in Ireland, this coming May.
Speaking at the end of a meeting in the Oval Office with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, President Obama said he is looking forward to visiting Ireland. The President stated ‘I want to say today, that I intend to come to Ireland in May, but the date of the visit has yet to be finalised.’
He said he is ‘excited ‘ about visiting all the famous sites, but also to visit the place his great, great, great, great, great, grandfather hails from, in Moneygall. Taoiseach Enda Kenny stated the visit was a vote of confidence in the Irish people, at a time of great fiscal difficulty.
The Taoiseach assured the US President of a rapturous welcome, and said jokingly that if he wanted a round of golf he would be happy to join him.
President Obama joked back, that he had heard Mr Kenny was a good golfer, so he himself would have to practice.
On a more serious front, the US president and the Taoiseach also discussed how Ireland will bounce back from economic turmoil. Mr Obama confirmed the willingness of the United States to continue to co-operate with and give practical assistance wherever and whenever possible. “There is just an incredible bond between our two countries,” the president said from the Oval Office.” And that’s one that we want to reaffirm here today.”
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was in the White House meeting Mr Obama today for the traditional St Patrick’s Day presentation of shamrock.
Last night, Mr Kenny addressed around 1,000 guests at the annual gala dinner of the American Ireland Fund. The American Ireland Fund is aiming to raise $100m for Irish charities by the end of 2013.
Enda Kenny’s also had meetings with Vice President Joe Biden and US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
Click for UPDATE
 Cllr Ger Fahy, Heads to New York for St Patrick's holiday courtesy the Irish taxpayer. Following a budgetary meeting of North Tipperary County Council yesterday, it was confirmed that an allocation of €708,000 would now be granted for the upgrading of roads in Thurles and surrounding areas.
However, while our new government has cut back severely on foreign trips for St Patrick’s Day, the Limerick Leader newspaper has learnt that the Mid-Western Regional Authority, a tax-payer funded, indirectly elected organisation, based in Abbey Street, in Nenagh, Tipperary, is spending almost €5,000 to jet its chairman, Fine Gael city councillor Ger Fahy and Director Liam Conneally to New York City.
The Mid-Western Regional Authority, (Note: For over stretched taxpayers who are not up to date with current affairs.) is a ‘quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization ‘ or ‘quango‘ involved in co-ordinating the local authority areas of Counties Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary and Limerick City. A quango is the label given to an organisation to which government has devolved power and which the new Fine Gael Government has promised to abolish.
However Councillor Ger Fahy and Director Liam Conneally commenced their trip to New York last night, (“A lot done, More to do,” or was that a Fianna Fail quote.) with the pair not due back until 24 hours after the city’s parade concludes.
During their stay in New York City, Cllr Fahy and Mr Conneally will stay in a “three-star hotel” in Manhattan, with the Fine Gael councillor joining the Limerick Association in New York for its annual parade.
According to the Limerick Leader newspaper, both men defended the trip, pointing out that during their week in the Big Apple, they will meet (Have a few Jar’s) with a variety of tourism and business agencies, including the American branches of the IDA Ireland, Tourism Ireland, CIE Tours, Aer Lingus and Enterprise Ireland.
Speaking to the Limerick Leader newspaper, Cllr Fahy said: “I think its very appropriate that we travel. We have so much going for us in this region. We need to promote the Mid-West, and in particular Shannon Airport, and attract inward investment into the region. I have no doubt that it will be a very worthwhile visit.”
The American Nation, I have no doubt, will be greatly honoured by this high level visitation, however my fear is that their presence will overshadow IDA Ireland, Tourism Ireland, CIE Tours, Aer Lingus and Enterprise Ireland personnel, already in place, busy handing out the leaflets.
The €5000 spent on this trip could have employed one man for two months filling potholes here in Thurles. This junketing comes as the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said yesterday that it now believed that 14.6pc of the population was unemployed, after revising the February figure of 13.5pc published last week. Unemployment has now jumped to the highest levels since 1994 as young and middle-aged men continue to lose jobs at record rates and long-term unemployment becomes the norm for those without work.
Congratulations to the Irish taxpayers of this green and pleasant land, for giving so unselfishly to the Mid-Western Regional Authority, who sanctioned this week in New York with our sponsorship money. No doubt both men will supply us with a full and detailed report of their achievements, immediately on their return.
It seems “the more things change the more they remain the same.” God save Ireland.
|
Support Us Help keep Thurles.info online by donating below. Thank you.
Total Donated 2026: €300.00
Thank You!
Daily Thurles Mass Livestream
|
Recent Comments