A trial against Tipperary TD Michael Lowry is to go ahead.
A judge in Clonmel ruled earlier today that the former Fine Gael minister should stand trial on five charges relating to tax matters.
Judge Tom Teehan Clonmel Court gave his verdict on a number of applications by Mr Lowry's defence team, who had previously argued he would not get a fair trial.
The 60-year-old independent TD from Holycross now faces five charges, including knowingly completing incorrect tax returns on a number of dates between 2003 and 2007.
The judge rejected the defence arguments.
He directed the trial will now go ahead before Dublin Circuit Court at a date to be agreed.
Judge rules TD and former Fine Gael Minister Michael Lowry should stand trial for tax offences
This morning Judge Thomas Teehan said he could find no reason to put a stay on the trial and that it was not even arguable that the court should stop the trial based on a submission by the defence that Mr Lowry had been singled out by various agencies of the State for extraordinarily rigorous scrutiny.
The judge agreed to transfer the trial from Co Tipperary to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, following an application in July from the State.
The reasons given by the defence in October and November for the application for a strike-out were on the grounds of insufficient evidence; wrongful exposure of taxpayer information to the public; pre-trial publicity; abuse of process; no outstanding tax liability on Mr Lowry's part; and an alleged offence against the administration of justice.
In relation to pre-trial publicity, the judge said the portrayal by the defence of media coverage of the investigation into Mr Lowry as irreparably damaging, especially coverage in one Sunday newspaper, was not borne out by the examples which have been referred in the course of argument.
Judge Teehan said it was important to state that the recordings known as the Lowry tapes, which formed the basis for a number of newspaper articles last year, do not form part of the prosecution case, so he did not accept the importance which the defence tried to attribute to them.
Judge Teehan said the information was that these civil proceedings are being maintained in part by persons or entities outside the State.
While this information was striking, he said it is not relevant to these applications.
Nonetheless, he directed the courts office to write to the Garda Commissioner enclosing the information deemed appropriate by Mr Lowry's solicitor to ask for this matter to be investigated by the gardaí.
As it was related to the civil proceedings in the High Court and not this criminal trial, he could find no reason to stay the trial, he said.
Judge Teehan adjourned the case until 20 January in Clonmel, when it will be transferred to Dublin.
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