THE following is the text of a statement issued by the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, yesterday evening:
On RTE's News at One today, Deputy Bertie Ahern suggested that before nominating Michael Lowry to be Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, I was aware that he had availed of the tax amnesty. This is not correct.
In introducing the item, the interviewer also made a similarly incorrect assumption.
The circumstances in which all Governments are formed, during a brief adjournment of the Dail, do not allow an opportunity for Ministers to be interviewed in any detail about their business situation by a Taoiseach prior to appointment.
The facts of the matter in this case are as follows:
1. At the first meeting of the Government, just after Ministers had been appointed, on 15 December, 1994, I told all Ministers that, in advance of the enactment of the Ethics in Public Office legislation, I was anxious that they should give the lead and advise me in confidence and in writing of any interests which they or their immediate family members might have which might lead to a conflict of interest in considering Government business. This was based on a speaking note I used at the meeting which was then given to all Ministers. Subsequently all Ministers complied with this request.
2. In his response to this request, on 17 January, 1995, a month after his appointment, Michael Lowry gave me a written statement of his interests. These itemised the house property he owned, and, in respect of his business interests he said simply that, shortly after becoming a Minister, he had resigned as a director of his company, which he said carried out refrigeration business primarily with Dunnes Stores. He said he had no other business interests. As I have already stated in the Dail, there was no reference of any kind to the transactions involving the renovation of his house.
3. He also informed me, in this letter, that so far as he was aware, all tax affairs, individual or corporate were up to date and paid and that he had availed of the tax amnesty to update his returns and to settle any arrears. I accepted the accuracy of this statement. I accepted that in availing of the tax amnesty he had acted within the law to settle his tax affairs and bring them fully up to date, in accordance with legislation passed by the Oireachtas. While I had opposed the principle of the tax amnesty before it was passed, once it was enacted by the Dail I accepted that it was legitimate for any citizen to act in accordance with it, without any question of further penalisation. Michael Lowry volunteered all this information on his tax position, which went beyond the requirements of my original request, giving me the assurance that his tax affairs were in order.