Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 April 2010
62 Deputy P. J. Sheehan asked 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]
View answerBased 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.
