Irish government: Who are the kingmakers?

The regional independents are led by controversial TD Michael Lowry.

He is a politician who is well known beyond his constituency of Tipperary North.

He entered politics as a county councillor in 1979 before being elected as a Fine Gael TD in 1987. He has been an independent since 1997.

Since the general election in 2020, Lowry has been a member of the then newly formed Independent Regional Group.

The former minister for transport, energy and communications has been convicted of a tax offence and failing to keep proper books of account.

In 2018, Lowry and his refrigeration company Garuda Ltd were fined €25,000 for the offences.

More recently, a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions over the Moriarty tribunal findings last year, 14 years after the tribunal’s final report.

The tribunal was set up in 1997 to examine financial payments made to former Irish premier Charlie Haughey and Lowry.

Its final report was published in 2011 and contained details of its investigation into possible links between businessman Denis O’Brien and Lowry.

It found that as communications minister Lowry helped Mr O’Brien secure the state’s second mobile phone licence for his company Digifone in 1995.

It described Mr Lowry’s role as “disgraceful and insidious”.

Earlier this month, upon hearing the news that a file had been sent to prosecutors, Lowry said: “All those involved, including myself, have steadfastly maintained that there was no wrongdoing or impropriety attached to the award of the licence.”

He said the police contacted him for assistance last year and that was the first time he had heard from them since 2011.

“At no point, on that occasion or since, was it suggested that there were or are any charges being contemplated against me,” he added.