Inquiries into the suspension of the person referred to by the Deputy were conducted and completed by a senior inspector of my Department.
There were a number of factors which contributed to the delay in arriving at a decision in this case. It was decided to conduct informal inquiries into the suspension. There was much correspondence between the person's solicitor and the senior inspector regarding the legality of the proposed inquiry and the procedures to be followed. When these matters had been resolved, the investigation itself consisted of an examination of documentation and interviews with the parties concerned. All of these matters, together with work involved in compiling the report, took a considerable time to complete.
There were subsequent difficulties in considering the report. Following the institution of legal proceedings and subsequent negotiations, settlement terms were laid down by the High Court on 1 December 1994.