Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)

I wish to ask one question of the Taoiseach. How can the Taoiseach or any Member of this House justify what ultimately will be the multi-million cost of this tribunal? I have 13 years of experience in dealing with this tribunal and have come to the opinion that this quasi-judicial legal farce has been out of control for years. The Oireachtas has stood back from it and has allowed it to continue. Although Members this morning have been discussing the economy being in tatters, they are still observing and sanctioning daily payments to senior counsel, including Saturdays and Sunday, on which expenses have been drawn. Were the Taoiseach to examine the invoices going into his Department from the tribunal, he would see that after 13 years, senior counsel are paid €2,500, now reduced to €2,250, per day. Moreover, in some instances they are claiming for Saturdays and Sundays. How can the Government justify such expenditure of public funds on an ongoing basis, while at the same time it has reduced social welfare payments, is cutting the public service pay bill, has removed medical cards from people who deserve them and is reducing the health services and funding for hospitals?

In respect of the costs, how could the officials in the Department of the Taoiseach who are responsible for the tribunal allow senior barristers for the tribunal, who now are multimillionaires on foot of their work there, to submit bills that were incorrect and which were overstated by €250 per day, amounting to millions of euro-----

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