Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Again, when Members last addressed these questions in November, I made reference to the fact that the previous July, it had been indicated at the Committee of Public Accounts that the Moriarty tribunal had paid €8.5 million each to two barristers working in the tribunal. I described such payments as an obscenity and asked the Taoiseach the reason that the reduction in fees signalled in 2004 had not proceeded over the five years up to that point last July or up to Question Time in November. In his extraordinary reply the Taoiseach stated, "The strong view was that the imposition of the reduced rate could lead to the departure of counsel to the jeopardy of the money already expended on the work of the tribunal". At what point in time and by what means did senior counsel or someone on their behalf either threaten or seek to bluff in respect of how they might respond in the event of the introduction of a reduction in fees? Would the Taoiseach not have thought it appropriate either to face down the threat or to call their bluff? As for the argument or view that these senior counsel would walk, resulting in an absolute loss of all the years of effort employed and putting in jeopardy all that already had been expended in the tribunal up to that point in time, I do not believe it holds any water. Where stands this matter at present?

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