THE Revenue Commissioners want the Price Waterhouse report containing the six figure transaction with Dunnes Stores which forced Mr Michael Lowry's to resign at the weekend.
With speculation that their special investigations branch may already have a copy, reports that it contains a list of company cheque payments to a number of politicians, including a very prominent former Fianna Fail Minister, are causing reverberations throughout the political system.
The Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, will cut short his visit to Lisbon to address the Organisation of Security Co operation in Europe for the controversial debate tomorrow on the resignation of Mr Lowry and his replacement by Mr Alan Dukes as Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications. Sources close to the Taoiseach confirmed yesterday he does not have a copy of the Price Waterhouse report.
The two Opposition parties will demand that the Revenue Commissioners investigate what the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Ahern, described as "all the names being bandied about" in connection with the Price Waterhouse internal audit of Dunnes Stores.
In the strongest terms, they will also challenge Mr Bruton's assertion that private business or personal matters conducted prior to a ministerial appointment was "in a different category".
The Progressive Democrats's front bench will decide tomorrow whether to seek a re examination of the two most contentious deals signed by Mr Lowry as a Minister - the sale of a 20 per cent stake in Telecom Eireann and the Esat mobile telephone licence.
Sources close to Mr Lowry confirmed the tax liability on the money received by the former Minister via his business transactions with the former executive chairman of Dunnes Stores, Mr Ben Dunne, has not been settled.
Describing the monies as "loans", these sources said discussions between Dunnes and Mr Lowry over how much his company, Streamline Enterprises, was owed by Dunnes have not been concluded.
It was also learned yesterday that the Taoiseach's Fine Gael advisers reached the conclusion, before Mr Lowry's resignation on Saturday evening, that his explanation of the £208,000 loan to renovate his Tipperary home would not stand up politically.
With Opposition parties anxious to develop the Lowry controversy under Dail privilege, it is to estimate the future political fall out from the affair now that Mr Lowry has resigned.
On his arrival back in his constituency last evening, Mr Lowry reiterated that the payment of his home was "an entirely legitimate and normal commercial agreement" that would "satisfy any accountant".
As his Fine Gael colleagues were unsure if he proposed to publicly explain the transaction, Mr Lowry asserted that the answers, which would satisfy any accountant, "would lead to protracted political questions".
With new allegations in the Sunday Tribune of cheque payments to an unnamed former Fianna Fail Minister, his wife, a television personality and business people, the Fianna Fail leader, Mr Bertie Ahern, said if allegations of undisclosed payments to members of Fianna Fail were proven, these involved should resign. He knew nothing about the contents of the Price Waterhouse report, he added.
He insisted that investigations into payments to Mr Lowry should continue so as to "maintain the confidence of the public in the integrity of the political system".
He objected most strongly, in an RTE interview, to the Taoiseach's statement that allegations against:
Mr Lowry pre dated his ministerial career. Describing this proposition as "ludicrous", he said it would mean "politicians can feather their nests outside ministerial office once they don't do it inside".
The PD spokesman, Mr Bobby Molloy, called on the Garda and the Revenue to investigate the implications of the Price Waterhouse report. He insisted Mr Lowry must explain his relationship with Dunnes in full. He also challenged the Taoiseach to explain his "double standards" comments.
The Fine Gael party was said to be "punch drunk" from the lead up to the resignation of its third member of Government in two years. There was a general welcome, however, for Mr Dukes's elevation.
