It may be that there is an entirely innocent explanation for Dunnes Stores' reported decision to pick up the £208,000 bill for restoration and extension work at Mr Michael Lowry's Tipperary home. The Taoiseach and Mr Lowry yesterday sought to assemble a preliminary defence; much stress is being laid on the fact that the episode pre dated Mr Lowry's ministerial appointment two years ago.
But there is a strong sense that Mr Lowry, who might charitably be described as `accident prone', Is battling for his political life this weekend. Few of his ministerial colleagues, have stepped into the breach to defend him. Labour and Democratic Left leaders are said to be monitoring events closely.
That said, Mr Lowry's claim that the whole business predated his ministerial appointment may not be wholly irrelevant. His success in the refrigeration business and his coup in securing the Dunnes Stores contract from a rival Tipperary firm, for which he once worked, have been well documented. It can sometimes occur that in business dealings the parties involved will come to some private arrangement, some kind of quid pro quo for services rendered. There is nothing necessarily wrong about any such dealing, provided it conforms with the tax laws and/or is approved by the Revenue Commissioners.
Mr Lowry has asked his accountants and auditors to explore the fine print of his arrangement with Dunnes Stores. It may be that he can offer all the assurances that are required about the propriety of the deal. But, as a self styled guardian of probity in public life, Mr Lowry will know better than most that he still has much to explain.
Mr Lowry is no longer just an opposition deputy with a successful private business. As Minister, he controls no fewer than 10 semistate bodies at, perhaps, the most sensitive phase in their history. His Department supervised the allocation for a lucrative second mobile phone licence. And it has direct responsibility for a large slice of EU funding, including the LUAS project in Dublin.
In such circumstances, it is imperative that the holder of this office is someone who is above reproach in respect of his former dealing with the business community. It must be someone who has no favours to return or no chips to cash in. On the basis of what we know, it is clear that Mr Lowry entered into what might be described as an unorthodox arrangement with one of Ireland's largest private companies. The public will want clarification over the coming days about the precise nature of his relationship with Dunnes Stores. It will also want to know whether Mr Bruton was made aware of these arrangements before he brought Mr Lowry to the Cabinet table.
It would be surprising if Mr Bruton is not feeling somewhat depressed by the recent history of his Fine Gael Ministers. In a GUBU like chain of events, the confidence and political stature of Mr Michael Noonan, Mr Ivan Yates and Mrs Nora Owen have all been shaken by controversy. This Coalition has already shown a remarkable ability to dust itself down and to carry on regardless. But Mr Bruton will know that the prima facie case against Mr Lowry, his long time political confidante and a former party fund raiser, could hardly be more serious.