Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 25 Jun 1996

Vol. 467 No. 4

Written Answers. - Beef Tribunal Legal Fees.

John O'Donoghue

Ceist:

303 Mr. O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the legal fees and expenses paid or payable and claimed and unpaid to persons representing public representatives at the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Industry in Ireland; the name of the public representative in each case; the name and amount paid, payable or claimed by the solicitor acting for each public representative; the name and address of each firm of solicitors represented at the inquiry; the name and amount paid, payable or claimed by each firm of solicitors represented at the inquiry; the name of each public representative represented at the inquiry and the name of the solicitor and firm of solicitors acting for each public representatives aforementioned; and the name and amount paid to the barrister in each case along with the name of the public representative he represented. [13609/96]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. Yates)

Full details of all legal representatives at the tribunal and who they represented is set out in pages 861 to 868 of the report of the tribunal.

The legal fees — other than those already paid in respect of the legal teams for the State and the Tribunal are the subject of costs orders made by the sole member of the tribunal. All of these costs are submitted direct to the Taxing Master and are to be the subject of an examination by him. My Department has no direct function in this process. I understand to date only two public representatives — Deputy Pat Rabbitte and former Deputy Tomás Mac Giolla have submitted claims for their costs and the examination of these by the Taxing Master is ongoing.