Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Those three replies can be reduced as follows: the Taoiseach does not know the answer to one question, he will not provide the answer to the second question and he has not properly heard the third question. I wish to concentrate on the third question, because I find the matter somewhat strange. I recall the Taoiseach told us on a previous occasion, when I put questions concerning the Moriarty tribunal, that he anticipated there would be a renewed round of hearings. I remember this because it surprised me at the time, and it was the first occasion anyone heard that the Moriarty tribunal was going to hold further public hearings. It is now in the public domain, or at least it has been reported in newspapers, that it is expected the tribunal will convene further public hearings. I wish to know if that is the case. The finance for the tribunal is provided for in the Taoiseach's Estimate. There is a reduction in the 2009 Estimate to €7.5 million. If there are to be new public hearings of the tribunal, is it not fair to assume the cost is likely to increase? Has any consideration been given to this in the context of examining anticipated expenditure by the Taoiseach's Department in the coming year?

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