Irish Times columnist first victim of Moriarty

While the Tipperary TD Michael Lowry has been refusing to resign from Dail Eireann in the wake of the publication of the report of the Moriarty Tribunal into his dealings with businessman Denis O'Brien while a minister, the affair has already had one casualty. Enfield journalist Sarah Carey, who worked for Denis O'Brien at the time the tribunal was examining, last week resigned her position as an Irish Times columnist after being criticised in the tribunal report for leaking documents to a newspaper during the inquiry. In her last column for the Irish Times last Thursday, headlined: 'Lying to Tribunal is Black Spot On My Record', Ms Carey wrote about her leaking of Moriarty Tribunal documents to journalist Stephen Collins and subsequently denying she had leaked the documents when initially asked by the tribunal. She also appeared on RTE's 'Prime Time' on Monday of last week defending her actions. Last Friday, Irish Times editor Geraldine Kennedy confirmed that Ms Carey's resignation had been accepted. The resignation takes effect immediately. In a statement issued on Friday, Ms Carey said that following a meeting with the editor, "it was clear to me that I had no choice but to resign my position as columnist with The Irish Times". Ms Carey said that, in January 2003 she had provided Stephen Collins, then political editor of the Sunday Tribune, "with data about donations made by Denis O'Brien to all political parties. "When queried by the Moriarty Tribunal on this, in order to protect the confidentiality of my dealings with Stephen Collins, I told my legal team I had not been the source of the leak." Ms Carey said it was "important to reiterate that I did not lie under oath to the tribunal. Indeed, when I came to give evidence under oath at the tribunal, I told the whole truth about the leak and denial. All of this was known to The Irish Times - indeed had been reported in that paper by Colm Keena on Thursday January 22nd 2004, four years before they hired me as a columnist." Ms Carey, a daughter of Meath County Councillor William Carey, said she would be taking a break from presenting on TV3 but she would continue to present her radio show on Newstalk. Ms Kennedy told Ms Carey that her credibility as a columnist had been damaged by the findings of the report of the Moriarty Tribunal and its aftermath. In order to protect the reputation of The Irish Times, her position as a columnist was untenable. Former Taoiseach and Dunboyne TD John Bruton, who apponted Michael Lowry as a minister in his Rainbow Coalition, this week expressed disappointment and regret that his government's award of the second mobile phone licence to Denis O'Brien's consortium in 1995 turned out as it did. Mr Bruton defended his actions as a member of the government that made the decision. He said he was still in the process of reading the 2,400-page report and "would prefer not to make specific comment until I have further satisfied myself as to all the facts". But he added: "One has to look back on this matter with great disappointment and regret." He was responding to claims by the Persona consortium, which lost out to Mr O'Brien in the competition for the licence, that politicians in the then-governing coalition had failed to heed its concerns on the result. Persona chairman Tony Boyle said his consortium contacted the Democratic Left leader Proinsias de Rossa and Mr Bruton about its reservations. Mr Bruton wrote back that the government "fully supported" the decision taken by then minister for communications, Michael Lowry, Mr Boyle claimed. In the letter, Mr Bruton wrote he was "fully satisfied that the process conducted by the minister and independent consultants was absolutely fair, objective and non-discriminatory". He responded to Mr Boyle's claims, citing a number of reasons why the cabinet sub-committee on telecommunications recommended exclusive negotiations be opened with Esat Digifone for the licence. He pointed out that civil servants who assessed the bids had recommended Esat, as had an external consultant. Mr Bruton said it was the committee's understanding that Mr Lowry was not involved in the process.