Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her Department will meet the legal costs of the diocese of Ferns as incurred through its co-operation with the Bermingham and Ferns Inquiries, which resulted in the publication of the Ferns Inquiry Report on 25 October 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11166/07]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 279: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the cost incurred by the Ferns Inquiry to date; the expected final cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11167/07]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 280: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will list, for the purposes of meeting their legal costs, those parties that cooperated with the Ferns Inquiry and those parties that did not cooperate. [11168/07]

Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the individual parties, arising from their cooperation with the Ferns Inquiry, that have had their legal costs paid to date; the amount of these costs; the criteria used by her Department in order to differentiate between those parties that are to be paid their legal costs, including when they might expect to be paid, and those that are not; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11169/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 to 281, inclusive, together.

The total cost of the Bermingham and Ferns Inquiry as of 1st January 2007 was: Bermingham Inquiry, €424,737.58; Ferns Inquiry, €2,068,498.85; Total, €2,493,236.43.

The Ferns Inquiry in its report stated "that it was satisfied that, it received co-operation from all the agencies involved with the issue of child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Ferns". One individual has had their legal costs of €1,815.00 met by the Department in respect of their attendance at the Inquiry as a witness in relation to an allegation of abuse against a third party. Payment to this person was made on the basis of advice received from the Inquiry Team.

A number of other parties including the Diocese of Ferns have advised the Department of legal costs incurred in relation to their engagement with the Inquiry. It would be inappropriate to list these parties in the context of the report's approach generally to those who engaged with the Inquiry. Officials of the Office of the Minister for Children are considering the issue of legal costs in relation to both the Bermingham Inquiry and the Ferns Inquiry and it is expected that Government will take decisions on these matters in the coming weeks.