Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 October 2023
15. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform the number of tribunals, public investigations and commissions of investigations in process; the length of time each has been under way; when each will conclude; the cost to date of each; and the estimated cost of each at completion. [44814/23]
View answerMy Department has not been responsible for the setting up of any Tribunal of Inquiry, Commission of Inquiry or Commission of Investigation since its establishment.
Government Departments/Offices are required where relevant and appropriate to publish details on their website of costs and estimates relative to original estimate for Tribunals of Inquiry and Commissions of Investigation on a six-monthly basis. This requirement applies to those Tribunals of Inquiry and Commissions of Investigation which are currently underway and/or for which payments (including third-party payments) are still being made.
This requirement is set out in a circular of my Department dating from 14th December 2020. This circular itself emanated from a recommendation by the Public Accounts Committee that such information should be made available by Government Departments and Offices on a six monthly basis on its website. My Department accepted the PAC recommendation and accordingly issued the necessary circular outlining to Departments and Offices their obligations therein and how to comply with them.
The circular requires that the six-monthly provision of information by the Departments and Offices concerned should set out:
(i) The relevant Tribunal and/or Commission of Investigation being reported on;
(ii) Its date of establishment;
(iii) The original estimate of its costs;
(iv) Any revised estimate of its costs;
(v) The cumulative costs to date of each report; and
(vi) An explanation where appropriate for the deviation between the original estimate of costs and any revised estimate of costs
Questions about the length of time the relevant Tribunal, Commission of Inquiry or Commission of Investigation has been under way and its expected duration are a matter for the relevant Departments and Offices.
