Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

At the start of the month the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform indicated the total cost of tribunals of inquiry to date had reached €355 million. Can the Taoiseach confirm if that is the case, and is he able to break that down in regard to the Moriarty tribunal, which is the critical focus of this series of questions? Can he give us an indication of the total cost of the Moriarty tribunal to date?

Does the Taoiseach share my concerns that the serious cost and duration of these series of tribunals of inquiry have of themselves fed into the argument against establishing tribunals of inquiry into matters that in the opinion of many in this House, including me, and many concerned citizens should have been inquired into and that the experience out of this series of tribunals of inquiry has given rise to the argument against them? I refer, for instance, to the terrible tragedies faced by women at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, both in regard to the Neary case and the symphysiotomy scandals. None of those matters has been addressed in any substantive way. The truth has never been properly sought out and established and the long periods of silence on the part of many who were exposed to the facts of what was actually happening. None of that has been established. Does the Taoiseach not share general public concern and alarm at that?

As various Government speakers indicated previously on a number of occasions the costs and duration of tribunals can be curtailed. Given what has already been said about the failure to enact already stated intent on the part of the previous Taoiseach to curtail costs, what steps are the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform taking to ensure tribunals of inquiry that are necessary are set up and that the issues of cost and duration are properly addressed in advance?

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