Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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161. To ask the Taoiseach the extent to which matters relating to the Moriarty tribunal have been concluded and final bills in respect of costs to all parties agreed and-or discharged or pending; if the tribunal is still ongoing and the basis of same; if further costs to the Exchequer are being incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3218/15]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Moriarty Tribunal was established in 1997 and published its Final Report in March 2011. Following publication of that Report, the Tribunal’s back-up team was substantially reduced. A small legal and administrative staff remains in place to deal with applications for third-party costs and with the ongoing business of wind-down. The Tribunal is also subject to a number of legal proceedings for which it uses its own legal resources as much as possible.

Total expenditure by my Department from the establishment of the Moriarty Tribunal in 1997 to end-December 2014 was €50.8 million.

My Department paid €3.7 million in respect of the Tribunal in 2014. This was made up of costs in respect of its legal team, administration, third-party costs and other (legal cost accountant fees and witness appearance costs).

The Sole Member has indicated to my Department that the majority of applications for third party costs have now been considered by him and that there remain only a very limited number of applications which are still being considered. He has made over 120 orders to date.

The Tribunal determines only entitlement to costs, not the costs themselves. When an order for costs is made, it is a matter for the claimant then to make a claim. Initially, claims were processed by the Chief State Solicitor's Office, using professional legal cost accountants, but claims received since early 2013 are processed by the State Claims Agency. Claims are usually settled in negotiation or, failing agreement, by the Taxing Master.

So far, a total of 49 claims have been settled, all by negotiation. The claims amounted to €10.76m and the amount paid in settlements was €4.77m. Of this, €2.55m was paid in 2014.