Vol. 427 No. 2
137 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the moneys, if any, which have been paid, or been accumulating, to discharge the costs and expenses of senior counsel (details supplied) at the beef tribunal, the estimated total cost of the tribunal to date; and whether he has received an interim report.
As indicated in the reply to Question No. 131 of 16 February 1993 the total amount paid to end January 1993 to counsel for the State and the tribunal was £2.9 million. One of the counsel concerned referred to by the Deputy was included in these payments at a daily rate of £1,260 and an initial briefing fee of £5,600. My Department does not have information on the fees for counsel engaged by other parties at the tribunal and the question of how these are to be met will be a matter ultimately for the Chairman.
The total cost to my Department of the beef tribunal at 28 February 1993 was £5.1 million.
As the work of the tribunal is on-going, I have not received an interim report.
