Revenue officers raid home of Michael Lowry

A team of officers from the Revenue Commissioners have searched the Co Tipperary home of IndependentTipperary North TD, Michael Lowry as part of an ongoing investigation into tax matters.

The search was carried out by a team from the Revenue Commissioners HQ in Dublin on Tuesday. It’s understood they spent several hours searching through documentation and files at Mr Lowry’s home near Holycross.

A Revenue Commissioners spokeswoman declined to comment on the search operation or the investigation, saying that the Revenue Commissioners were prohibited under section 851 A of the Taxes Consolidation Act from commenting on individual cases.

It’s understood that the team from the Revenue Commissioners had difficulty accessing Mr Lowry’s gated property at Gleanree around 1km from Holycross but they gained entry when a housekeeper opened the gates to allow another staff member on to the property.

The team was accompanied by a member of An Garda Síochána to ensure that there were no difficulties in executing the warrant but gardaí have no involvement in the investigation, The Irish Times understands.

It’s understood that officials from the Revenue Commissioners also carried out a search of business premises in Dublin again under warrant and again aon Tuesday as part of the same investigation.

Mr Lowry could not be contacted for comment on the Revenue Commissioner search despite inquiries and media requests for a statement being made at his local constituency office on the Abbey Road in Thurles.

Earlier today Mr Lowry ordered two reporters from his property and refused to talk to them after they ventured on to the holding when the high security gates opened.

A former Fine Gael minister who resigned from Cabinet in 1996 following revelations about his business affairs, Mr Lowry later quit the parliamentary party in 1997 to become an independent and he has been re-elected as an independent at subsequent elections.