John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 155: To ask the Taoiseach the number of tribunals of inquiry conducted by his Department; the title of each; the cost of each to date in 2010; the expected date of conclusion of each; and the projected final costs. [3219/10]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I take it that the Deputy's question concerns Tribunals for the payment of whose costs my Department has responsibility.

In that context, my Department's responsibility relates only to the Tribunal of Inquiry into Payments to Politicians and Related Matters, known as the Moriarty Tribunal. This was established in September 1997 on foot of resolutions of the Dáil and Seanad. The cost of the Tribunal up to 31 December 2009 (the latest date for which figures are available) was €38.27m.

This figure does not include third-party costs. The Sole Member of the Tribunal, Mr Justice Moriarty, has not yet addressed such costs.

The Tribunal secretariat has on many occasions over the years responded to my Department's enquiries in the matter to the effect that any attempt to quantify such costs would lead to conclusions being drawn and suppositions made which could infringe the rights of witnesses and impinge on the independence of the Tribunal. The Comptroller and Auditor General's 2008 Special Report on Tribunals of Inquiry estimates a range of figures for such costs but stresses that they are subject to many caveats and contingencies.

As regards the date for completion of the Tribunal's work, the Tribunal has already published the first part of its Report. The Sole Member has recently informed me that, short of some situation that falls utterly out of his hands, he will make it his business to ensure that preparation for printing of the second, final, part of the Report will be completed by mid-February.