Lowry won't be investigated?

I wrote yesterday about being heartened by the unprecedented number of complaints (83) made to the Clerk of the Dail in response to the latest Lowry scandal.

Since then I’ve come across an excellent article by Elaine Byrne (Sunday Independent) which could explain the large number of complaints.

In her article Ms. Byrne calls on readers to make an official complaint to the Clerk of the Dail.

I am asking you, dear reader, to do something about that. If you believe that Michael Lowry — asserted to be “profoundly corrupt” by the Moriarty tribunal and a tax cheat by the Revenue Commissioners — is telling the God honest truth, then ignore the following.

This is how you complain. It must be in writing.

“Subject to section five of the Ethics Act, I wish to make a complaint about Michael Lowry’s registerable interests with respect to undisclosed lands near Wigan.”

Sign it and post it to Mr. Kieran Coughlan, Clerk of the Dail, Houses of the Oireachtas, Kildare Street, Dublin 2.

I spoke to an official in the Clerk of the Dail’s office yesterday, before I came across Ms. Byrne’s article, to ask if an investigation had been initiated as a result of the complaints.

No, because the complaints would have referred to the fact that he hadn’t declared land and yesterday he amended his register of interests and declared the land.

So your office is taking no action for the many years in which Mr. Lowry failed to register this land?

No.

This sort of twisted; arrogant logic by our so-called enforcement authorities is one of the principal reasons why Ireland has descended to the status of banana republic.