Written answers
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Department of Finance
Tribunals of Inquiry
4:00 am
P J Sheehan (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide updated figures for the cost of a Dáil Inquiry and six tribunals (details supplied); the figures provided by the cost comparison report prepared by his Department, setting out the cost to date and time taken to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14323/10]
Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Based on bi-monthly reports made to the Department of Finance by the Departments with responsibility for the individual tribunals, up to end-February 2010 the cumulative cost of the six requested tribunals as listed below was €217.31 million, of which €44.41 million comprised administration and €172.9 million derived from legal costs. The legal costs figures include €79.19 million for third-party legal costs that are already paid. Further third party legal costs have yet to be presented and taxed.
| Admin Costs | State Legal Costs | 3rd Party Legal Costs | Total Costs | |
| €m | €m | €m | €m | |
| Beef Tribunal of Inquiry to enquire into allegations of improper practices within the beef industry and the abuse of the EU export credit refund scheme (established May 1991; Report presented to Relevant Minister, July 1994) | 5.320 | 4.630 | 17.283 | 27.233 |
| Finlay Tribunal of Inquiry into the Blood Transfusion Service Board (established October 1996: Report presented to Relevant Minister, March 1997) | 0.500 | 0.700 | 3.500 | 4.700 |
| Lindsay Tribunal of Inquiry into the Infection with HIV and Hepatitis C of Persons with Haemophilia and Related Matters (established September 1999: Report presented to Relevant Minister, September 2002) | 3.133 | 4.350 | 39.166 | 46.649 |
| McCracken Tribunal of Inquiry into the Dunne's payments to politicians (established February 1997: Report presented to Relevant Minister, August 1997) | 0.100 | 0.860 | 5.600 | 6.560 |
| Moriarty Tribunal of Inquiry into Payments to Messrs. Haughey and Lowry (established September 1997 — ongoing) | 7.888 | 31.194 | 2.564 | 41.646 |
| Mahon Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning matters and Payments (established November 1997 — ongoing) | 27.467 | 51.975 | 11.077 | 90.519 |
| Total | 44.408 | 93.709 | 79.19 | 217.307 |
In relation to the Dáil Inquiry (DIRT Inquiry), I am informed by the Houses of the Oireachtas Service that the cost of that Inquiry to the Service was €1.5 million (as per early 2001). In addition, I am informed by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General that the costs incurred by the Comptroller and Auditor General's Office on the DIRT Inquiry were €1.096 million.
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