What did Mr. Fintan Towey, Assistant Principal in the Telecommunications Development Division of DTEC, say in his evidence?

 

Mr Fintan Towey was an Assistant Principal in the Telecommunications Development Division of the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications. He reported to Mr Martin Brennan.  He was a key member of the PTGSM. 

 

In his evidence to the Tribunal on Day 223 (23 May 2003), Mr Towey stated that Mr Michael Lowry did not try to interfere or influence the second mobile phone licence competition process. 

 

“Q.    As far as you are concerned, in relation to Minister Lowry, do you think that he could have had a sufficient understanding of how the project was working to have intervened to change the way the Project Group were doing its business?

 

A.    No.  To my knowledge all he received were superficial progress reports.  I don’t believe he had any level of depth of understanding of the detail of the process or how it worked.

 

Q.    Did you ever see anything, or suspect anything, that would make you believe that the Minister either was trying to impact on the outcome of the deliberations of the Project Group or would have been in a position to do so?

 

A.    No, I didn’t.  To the extent that the Minister, to the very limited extent that the Minister was aware of the progress of this project, I didn’t view any of those contacts as giving rise to interference or any influence in relation to the project.”