Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Ó Caoláin raised a number of questions. Obviously, recommendations from all tribunals, including the Moriarty tribunal, are followed up. The Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Finance constantly examine areas of tax evasion and avoidance. They do this every year and in some years compile more detailed reports. The Deputy raised the question of tax avoidance. The Revenue Commissioners continually look at procedures which provide opportunities for this. Many tax shelters and reliefs have been closed off because it was felt they had served their purposes. The Deputy mentioned certain others.

The Deputy referred to the report on the Mahon tribunal made earlier this year. The figures for legal costs or third party legal costs given by me or my colleagues are the current tribunal costs. Until a tribunal has finished its work, the issue of third party costs does not arise. Those figures are for another day. The estimated cost of the Moriarty tribunal for 2007 in my Department is €10 million. Included in that estimate is the cost of publication of the report, some element of the award of legal costs, as well as administrative and legal costs. We do not know and are not in a position to estimate third party costs. In the case of the Moriarty tribunal, these matters will begin to be dealt with in the new year if the tribunal concludes in a matter of months, as I hope it will. The matter of third party costs must then go through a lengthy procedure which I am sure will continue on for a considerable time.

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