Michael Lowry at the eye of political speaking rights storm

Following unprecedented scenes of disruption which saw the Dáil be suspended last Wednesday and the election of a new Taoiseach delayed, the bitter dispute about speaking rights in the Dáil remains unresolved.

Opposition TDs are requesting the government "cut ties" with North Tipperary and North-West Kilkenny TD Michael Lowry and their parties have united in a campaign to derail plans to permit Deputy Lowry be considered a member of the opposition and establish a technical group to buy Dáil speaking time.

A special Dáil committee has been set up to examine Technical Groups and this issue is to be resolved by February 5th when the Dáil returns.

Meanwhile, Deputy Lowry has asked for permission to address the Dáil to respond to allegations made about him by Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty, which he describes as a "smear" against him.

The Sinn Fein Deputy Leader shared information about Deputy Lowry’s involvement in a deal relating to Doncaster Football club and other issues investigated by the Moriarty Tribunal.

Deputy Lowry rejects the findings of the Moriarty Tribunal as “factually wrong and deliberately misleading”, while businessman Denis O’Brien describes the report as fundamentally flawed and insists he never made any payment to Deputy Lowry.

Deputy Lowry told RTÉ's This Week that he delivered a letter to the Ceann Comhairle’s office, formally requesting an early opportunity to make a personal statement on the floor of the Dáil to address a "smear" against him.

"Pearse Doherty availed of Dáil privilege to make so-called new allegations in respect of my dealings with the Moriarty Tribunal. Within hours of it being brought to my attention, I delivered a letter to the Office of the Ceann Comhairle. I formally requested an early opportunity to make a personal statement on the floor of the Dáil to address this smear", Deputy Lowry said.

He was referring to remarks by Deputy Doherty, who used Dáil privilege to put a number of allegations about Deputy Lowry on the official record.

Deputy Doherty told the Dáil that in his view, Deputy Lowry received "£1m in direct loan supports from Denis O Brien", was "instrumental" in contracts being awarded, and described Deputy Lowry as "the star of the Moriarty tribunal".

He asked if Deputy Lowry would use future Dáil speaking time "to come clean" and "set the record straight about his involvement in the Doncaster Football Club deal".

Deputy Doherty raised the issue of the 1990s controversy over the purchase of the Doncaster Rovers Football Club, which featured in the Moriarty Tribunal.

In 2007, Lowry denied at the Moriarty Tribunal that he ever played any hand, act or part in the purchase of struggling English soccer club Doncaster Rovers, bought by Denis O’Brien’s family in August 1998 for a reported £4.3 million.

The deal was part of the tribunal’s terms of reference as it investigated financial links between O’Brian and Lowry. Lowry’s denial was echoed by O’Brien who said the politician had no involvement in the transaction.

Deputy Doherty told the Dáil under privilege: "Let me put some new information onto the record. Deputy Lowry had 57 meetings in relation to the Doncaster deal, including here in the houses of the Oireachtas, with the organiser of the project and sports representatives.

"And in the boardroom of Doncaster football club itself. Will he explain also in September and October 2001, why his accountant paid the person putting the Doncaster deal together two bank drafts of £32,500 and £25,000 for his fee.

"And when he is doing it, maybe he will explain why these payments made from an account in Gibraltar were never disclosed to the tribunal.

"Or will he use his time to explain to this House and the public. Why he, on 15 March 2001, met with other key individuals in these deals in Dublin.

"The outcome of that meeting was the creation of a false narrative and fake new documents. Fake documents that were given to the tribunal.

"Maybe he should explain why he and two others went to a rural farm, in August 2002, to burn the original documents pertaining to these deals. He did so to make sure that the truth would never see the light of day."

Deputy Doherty continued to say under Dáil privilege: "This information comes directly from one of the other men present. Micheál Martin, you called on the then Taoiseach Enda Kenny, to reopen the investigation into Michael Lowry.

"You did this on the back of information given to me by this same individual. How do you square the circle, that far from looking for him to be investigated, you allow him to play the role of king maker.

"You are handing him substantial influence over this incoming Government.

"Maybe the next time you sit down with Michael Lowry to discuss your grubby government Programme for Government you can ask him why he burnt those documents and why his accountant made these secret payments. The public deserves better," Deputy Doherty said.

The findings of the Moriarty Tribunal were strongly rejected by those at the centre of its conclusions.

Deputy Lowry said the report was "factually wrong and deliberately misleading", adding that Mr Justice Moriarty's opinions were "not substantiated by evidence or fact".

Businessman Denis O'Brien said the report was fundamentally flawed and insisted he never made any payment to Deputy Lowry.