Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 February 2019

Public Accounts Committee

2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach

9:00 am

Mr. Martin Fraser:

I was just checking with my colleague that it is what I think it is. That is an indemnity that was provided to a lawyer who conducted an inquiry. I want to be very careful. It is Sean Guerin, who conducted an inquiry into the Maurice McCabe situation. That is a subject of litigation between him and the former Minister for Justice. Anyone who has done an inquiry for the State is given an indemnity in respect of the work they do in that inquiry. That is the subject of litigation so there is every chance that it will give rise to costs, depending on the court's decision.