Owen denies link with Murphy group

The deputy leader of Fine Gael, Mrs Nora Owen, has rejected an allegation that she had a long-term association with one of the parties at the centre of the Flood tribunal, the Murphy group. Mrs Owen has also denied that she "thwarted" efforts to investigate members of the Garda when she was minister for justice in 1996.

The allegation that Mrs Owen did have such an association was made by Mr James Gogarty in a letter to Mr Michael McDowell, then a Progressive Democrats TD, in November 1996. The letter was read out at the Flood tribunal on Monday.

Mr Gogarty, a former managing director of Joe Murphy Structural Engineers, wrote of his "knowledge of her [Mrs Owen's] association with the Murphy group over the years" and accused her of not vindicating his right to justice in his complaint against the Garda. Mr Gogarty's complaint was that the Garda had refused to prosecute Mr Joe Murphy jnr for making an intimidating late-night phone call to his home.

However, in a statement issued last night, Mrs Owen denied she was involved in "thwarting" the entitlement of Mr Gogarty to have his complaints investigated.

She said that on the three occasions that parliamentary questions were tabled to her, she "followed the appropriate and normal procedures" and referred the questions to the Garda for answer.

She added: "The Minister for Justice of the day has no role in determining whether or not the subject matter of any complaint merits criminal investigation. Such considerations are exclusively a matter for the gardai/ DPP."

Mrs Owen said she wanted to state "clearly and without equivocation that I did not have an `association' with the Murphys individually or their companies `over the years'. Indeed to the best of my recollection I did not have any association with them as individuals or their companies at any time".

She also said: "It ought to be clearly understood that no allegations whatsoever have been made to the tribunal against me". Mrs Owen's statement, released through the Fine Gael press office, concluded: "Deputy Owen will not be making any further comment on this statement".