Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Let me return to a question I asked the Taoiseach already. I understand Mr. Justice Moriarty said we are now finished with public hearings and that there will be no more. It makes a mockery of the statement of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, if we are likely to have more public hearings because subjects of the tribunal might challenge its findings. The sole member announced that there would be no more public hearings, yet, on the basis of what the Taoiseach said, this might be a possibility. The Minister for Finance said that once the public hearings are ended, senior counsel should be withdrawn, resulting in a saving of €2,700 per day. He stated the legal staff of the tribunal should not serve any longer and that the judge should get on with the work of writing the report.

I agree with the Taoiseach's comment to Deputy Gilmore that this House has a number of options in respect of carrying out these kinds of investigations. There are a number of examples of such options that worked very well. One may have to deal with the constitutional requirement in order to allow for some form of such work, but that is a matter for another day.

The sole member of the Moriarty tribunal stated we are now finished with public hearings and the Minister for Finance stated, as a consequence, senior counsel and legal staff should be withdrawn, but this does not seem to have occurred. The public finds this very hard to understand given that the Government has made a decision on the withdrawal of vaccination for 12 year olds at a cost of €10 million.

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