The Tánaiste insists there’s “nothing corrupt” in negotiating a coalition deal with Tipperary North & North West Kilkenny Dáil Deputy Michael Lowry.
The Fianna Fáil leader had called for his resignation in the Dáil following the Moriarty Tribunal in 2011, which found that Mr Lowry had a “persuasive” influence in the awarding of Ireland’s second mobile phone license.
Michael Lowry has always rejected the findings.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin says the Independent TDs had a mandate to form a government, noting; “I think the policy platform is important, I don’t think there’s anything corrupt in the policy platform, I don’t think anybody is suggesting that there is, in fact I think there are a lot of positives in what the Regional Independent Group put forward in terms of ideas for the country to meet the challenges of the next five years and we then obviously had our policy platform, Fine Gael had its policy platform”.
Fianna Fáil members voted 93% in favour of the draft programme for government yesterday – with a vote of Fine Gael members from its series of meetings due to be counted today.
South Kilkenny Councillor Pat Dunphy was at the party’s regional gathering to discuss the document in Carlow on Saturday night – he’s told KCLR News; “The reaction on the ground seemed to be positive so it’ll be Monday evening before we know but I’d be fairly sure by the mood in the place that it will be passed, what other options are there at the moment, you have to have Government, you have to get in and do things and you have to go with the will of the people which is the vote in the last election”.
