Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 286: To ask the Minister for Finance if he has received information with a view to calculation of the cost of tribunals; the extent to which this includes legal fees, witnesses expenses, accommodation and or other costs associated with all tribunals conducted over the past 12 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38143/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 287: To ask the Minister for Finance if he has received any indication as to the estimated cost of the various tribunals conducted over the past number of years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38144/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 286 and 287 together.

Based on bi-monthly reports made to the Department of Finance by the Departments with responsibility for the individual tribunals, up to end-August 2009 the cumulative cost of completed and sitting Tribunals as listed below was €290.51 million, of which €67.64 million comprised administration and €222.87 million derived from legal costs. The legal costs figures include €113.51 million for third-party legal costs that are already paid. Further third party legal costs have yet to be presented and taxed.

The table below sets out the costs of the various tribunals. While the cost figures include some element of accommodation and witnesses expenses, the breakdown of the costs of witnesses expenses, accommodation and other associated costs would have to be obtained from the relevant line Departments as this Department does not hold such information.

An estimate of the ultimate costs of three major tribunals, Mahon, Morris and Moriarty Tribunals is provided in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General published in December 2008 on the timescale, cost and efficiency of these tribunals. The report is available at www.audgen.gov.ie. The Comptroller and Auditor General estimated, subject to caveats and contingencies, that these three tribunals could cost something in the order of €336 million to €366 million based on the costs being experienced to date by the tribunals themselves or alternatively, €418 million to €434 million if the pattern of third party costs experienced in the Beef Processing Industry Tribunal were to emerge in these cases also. The Report makes clear that these figures take no account of revenue that has or may in future accrue to the State arising from the Tribunals' work.