There was no "luck" involved in Esat Digifone winning the State's second mobile phone licence, Mr Denis O'Brien has told the Moriarty tribunal today.
A statement by Mr O'Brien, which is being read into the record this afternoon, says he believes, with the benefit of hindsight, the decision was "one of the best commercial decisions made by the Irish government in recent years".
Esat won the competition because it had prepared "diligently", had better and more driven people working for it and spent more money in proving to the competition judges that Esat was ready to get the network up and running as quickly as it did.
The tribunal has also heard Mr O'Brien met with the then minister for communications, Mr Michael Lowry, following the All-Ireland football final on September 17th, 1995.
Mr O'Brien had "tentatively arranged" to meet Mr Lowry for a drink after the match. They later met outside Hourican's in Leeson Street but moved across the road to Hartigan's. During the short meeting, which was between 15 minutes and half-an-hour long, the minister and Mr O'Brien discussed a number of matters, mainly the match, the tribunal heard.
However, Mr O'Brien said he also took the opportunity to discuss with the minister matters relating to Telecom Eireann, particularly capacity issues affecting Esat's fixed-line business at the time. There had been no arrangement to meet with Mr Lowry prior to the meeting at the All-Ireland final, Mr O'Brien said.
It was announced on October 25th, 1995, that Esat Digifone had won the competition for the second mobile phone licence.
Mr O'Brien's statement also details discussions he had with businessman Mr Dermot Desmond in relation to Mr Desmond's vehicle IIU taking a stake in the Esat consortium.
Mr O'Brien has said he has "no recollection" of an alleged remark to the former Telenor executive, Mr Per Simonsen, about a conversation he had with the former Minister for Communications, Mr Michael Lowry. The Norwegian firm Telenor was Esat's partner in preparing the bid for the GSM licence.
According to lawyers for the tribunal, Mr Simonsen says Mr O'Brien told him that, in late September 1995, the minister told him he should get Mr Dermot Desmond's IIU vehicle involved in Esat's bid for a mobile phone licence.
Mr Desmond's group ultimately did take a stake in the Esat project.
However, Mr O'Brien has told the tribunal he had "no recollection" of any meeting or conversation with Mr Simonsen at the end of September 1995 at which the alleged reference to the minister might have been made.
Mr O'Brien says the only time he remembers meeting Mr Lowry between September 17th and the date of the announcement on October 25th, was at the All-Ireland football final on September 17th.
