Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I do not have the details of the reports, from the Hamilton report right through to the Barron reports. I gave the figures quite recently. I will make them available again to Deputy Sargent as we come to the end of the process for the period.

To date, the costs of the MacEntee commission are €1.27 million. That breaks down as €786,000 on legal costs, €175,000 on the costs of support staff and the balance — €309,000 — on the costs of set-up, administration of the offices and the workings of the commission. These are still low costs in terms an inquiry and it is almost at its end.

The procedure is not the same as that of the other reports where there was consultation with all the Departments. Under the inquiries legislation, I am to consult the Attorney General and to bring the report to Cabinet. It is not the same kind of investigation as the other one and there should not be a delay. I would hope to get it quickly.

This would be the end of the fourth report of the Hamilton-Barron session, which has gone on for a considerable number of years and which deals with and ends all those issues in our jurisdiction. The MacEntee report really ends all that we set out to do on the 1974 issues. Bringing that report to the committee should allow the committee finish its work this year.

The investigations into the other areas which we had agreed under Weston Park have already commenced, although not in open session. The work is going ahead on Judge Smithwick's report into the Breen and Buchanan murders.

We will have effectively brought to an end all our work from this House and then the remaining issues from Weston Park go in to the formal issues outside of the House. That would finish our engagement in the process.

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