Written Answers. - Beef Tribunal.
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
370
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
the number of bills lodged to date with the Office of the Chief State Solicitor or the Taxing Master of the High Court in connection with the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Processing Industry; if he will give details of the claimants; and the amount being claimed in each case.
[14090/96]
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
371
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
further to Parliamentary Question No. 303 of 25 June 1996, the persons whose costs were submitted to the Taxing Master of the High Court; and the amount in each case.
[14091/96]
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
372
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
whether provision will be made in the 1997 Estimates for his Department for the payment of legal fees and expenses arising out of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Industry in Ireland.
[14092/96]
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
373
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
the amount of legal fees and expenses in respect of costs at the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Industry in Ireland claimed by or on behalf of former Deputy Tomás MacGiolla; the name of the claimant; the amount that was claimed in respect of solicitors' fees; the amount that was claimed in respect of barristers' fees; the amount that was claimed in respect of expenses incurred; and the name of solicitor, solicitors firm, and barristers who represented him.
[14094/96]
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
374
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
the amount of legal fees and expenses in respect of costs at the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Industry in Ireland claimed by or on behalf of Minister for State, Deputy Mr. Rabbitte; the name of the claimant; the amount that was claimed in respect of solicitors' fees; the amount that was claimed in respect of barristers' fees; the amount that was claimed in respect of expenses incurred; and the name of the solicitor, solicitors firm and barristers who represented him.
[14095/96]
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
375
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
the amount provided in the 1995 Estimate of expenses for his Department to discharge legal fees and expenses arising out of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Industry in Ireland.
[14096/96]
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
376
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
whether legal fees and/or expenses have been paid in respect of the legal representation of public representatives at the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Beef Industry in Ireland; and if so, to whom these fees have been paid; and the purpose for which these fees were paid.
[14097/96]
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
392
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
the persons whose legal fees are the subject of costs orders made by the sole member of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the beef industry in Ireland; and the amount the subject matter of each order.
[14299/96]
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
393
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
the amount provided in the 1996 Estimate of expenses for his Department to discharge legal fees and expenses arising out of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the beef industry in Ireland.
[14300/96]
John O'Donoghue
Ceist:
394
Mr. O'Donoghue
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry
the precise amount paid by his Department to date in respect of legal fees and expenses arising out of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the beef industry in Ireland; the specific amount paid to the legal teams for the State and the Tribunal; if he will give a breakdown of the balance of payments made; the persons who received payments; and the reasons therefor.
[14301/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 392, 393 and 394 together.
Following is the information requested:
1. Amounts provided in the Department's Estimates
|
£million
|
1995
|
25
|
1996
|
19,75
|
As regards the question of the provision in the 1997 Estimates this will, of course, depend on the amounts discharged in 1996. However, having regard to the amounts already discharged it would appear that a substantial amount will have to be provided in 1997.
1. Costs Orders made by the Sole Member of the Tribunal
Following is the list of persons whose legal fees were the subject of Costs Orders:
Goodman International
L. Goodman
D. Spring TD
B. Desmond MEP
Z. Al Taher
A. Fitzpatrick
N. Taher
ATGWU
SIPTU
P. Boyhan & Others
P. Rabbitte T.D.
T. MacGiolla
P. Quearney
B. Kelly
L. Marks
J. Fairbairn
Stokes Kennedy Crowley
S. Sheelan & K.J. McDonald
E. Mackle
N. Quinn
J. O'Callaghan
Autozero Ltd
A. Magee
I. Murray
S. Barrett TD
J. Bruton TD
Senator Tom Raftery
P. Connaughton TD
D. O'Malley TD
T. O'Reilly
J. Stanley
S. Clarke (UMP)
S. M. Khalid
S. Clarke (Halal)
T. Boland
Agra Trading Limited
O. Murphy
Hibernia Meats
P. Phelan
Master Meats
O. Patten
M. O'Kennedy TD
B. Britton
P. Farrell
G. Lambe
Brennan Governey & Co.
S. Goodwin & Others
V. Broderick
C. Peyron
M. Jinks
D. Hanley
Arax Ltd.
Ashbourne Meats Ltd.
Tara Meats Ltd.
Rangeland Meats Ltd.
Slaney Meats Ltd.
Ballywalter Meats Ltd.
Dawn Meats Ltd.
Taher Meats
Avrich Ltd. T/A Freshlands Foods
Western Meat Producers Ltd.
Transfreeze Coldstores Ltd.
Blanchvac Ltd.
Baltinglass Meats Ltd.
Kildare Chilling Co. Ltd.
Barford Meats Ltd.
C. H. Foods Ltd.
Continental Beef Packers Ltd.
C. O'Brien and P. Fox
Norish Plc.
Horgan Meats Ltd.
Freezomatic Coldstores Co.
Liffey Meats Ltd.
Meadow Meats
Kerry Meat Packers
Michael Purcell Foods Ltd.
Kepak Ltd.
J. Roberts
B. O'Beirn
R. Godson
Eurowest Foods Ltd.
Lixsteed Ltd.
Master Meats
Irish Meat Producers
Tunney Meats Packers
H. Tunney
J. Copas
M. Potter
D. Montogomery
Séamus Hand
Cloon Meats Ltd.
M. Connolly
Following list which was included in reply to Questions Nos. 29, 55 and 99 of 29 February 1996 gives details of persons who have submitted claims to either the Chief State Solicitor's Office or the Office of the Taxation Master.
Name
|
Amount
|
|
£
|
Dermot Hanley
|
641.30
|
Norish plc
|
1,258.00
|
Purcell Foods
|
1,875.50
|
Freshland
|
2,117.50
|
Baltinglass Meats Ltd.
|
2,207.50
|
Continental Beef Packers Ltd.
|
2,359.50
|
Continental Beef Packers Ltd.
|
3,991.49
|
J. O. Callaghan
|
4,446.75
|
C. H. Foods Ltd.
|
4,961.00
|
Seán Sheelan/Kevin J. McDonald
|
5,511.95
|
M. Sargent
|
5,566.00
|
Godson Sunday Tribunal
|
5,793.50
|
Angela McGee: AIBP Cloghran
|
9,152.03
|
Imelda Murray: Dalteena Traders
|
9,152.03
|
V. Broderick/C. Peyron
|
12,925.00
|
Master/Classic Meats
|
16,220.00
|
Laurence Goodman Export Credit
|
935,694.92
|
Goodman International Export Credit
|
1,062,050.77
|
McGiolla/Rabbitte
|
1,361,271.12
|
Goodman International
|
3,469,608.67
|
Laurence Goodman
|
3,618,045.39
|
Total
|
10,534,849.92
|
These claims are the only cases which have been referred to the Taxing Master for examination. None of these cases have to date been finalised by the Taxing Master but an amount of £754,760.40 was made, on foot of an Interim Certificate of Taxation to Michael D. White & Co., Solicitors who represented Deputy Pat Rabbitte and former Deputy Tomás MacGiolla. These are the only public representatives who have submitted claims for their costs. This information should have been included in the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 303 of 25 June 1996.
The details of these payments are the subject of the public hearings by the Taxing Master. The Minister for Finance is represented at these hearings and as has been indicated in previous replies a vigorous opposition has been put forward to the Taxing Master on behalf of the Minister for Finance. It is the normal practice in proceedings involving taxation of costs that details of the bill of costs giving detailed breakdowns of fees for counsel, solicitors and expenses along the lines mentioned in the Deputy's questions are not made public until the full taxation proceedings, including any appeals to the High Court or the Supreme Court are completed. Details of payments made to date.
Following details of payments made by my Department were given in reply to Question No. 257 of 12 March 1996:
Headings
|
Amount
|
|
£
|
Carr Communications Ltd.
|
98,700.000
|
Commuted Rep. Allowance
|
14,000.00
|
Couriers
|
2,698.82
|
John Hogan & Associates
|
199,374.00
|
Legal
|
3,642,581.40
|
Legal Research
|
2,080.90
|
Miscellaneous
|
71,978.85
|
Office Equipment
|
7,897.67
|
Office of Public Works
|
173,461.81
|
Office Supplies
|
43,655.00
|
Other Departments
|
211,736.68
|
Overtime
|
468,160.13
|
Phone
|
44,246.66
|
Post
|
7,000.00
|
Printing
|
46,455.60
|
Rank Xerox Ltd.
|
85,384.86
|
Refund
|
16,117.85
|
Room Rent
|
34,500.00
|
Salaries
|
527,232.05
|
Stenographers
|
455,832.31
|
Sub Account
|
4,039.18
|
Transfer
|
10,553.91
|
Travel Accounts
|
73,391.38
|
Tribunal Bank Account
|
177,318.12
|
Withholding Tax
|
1,157,203.75
|
Witness Expenses
|
4,620.40
|
Grand Total
|
7,547,985.63
|
In addition to these amounts in 1996 payments of £754,760.40 to Michael D. White & Co. Solicitors and £2,024.16 to the Department of Foreign Affairs in respect of travel and subsistence expenses of an officer of that Department who travelled from Geneva as a witness to the tribunal issued bringing to total expenditure to date to £8,304,770.13.
The legal fees of £3,642,581.40 are broken down as follows:
Team
|
Net Paid
|
Withholding Tax
|
Total
|
State
|
1,777,104.60
|
523,753.07
|
2,299,424.92
|
Tribunal
|
1,865,476.80
|
546,176.73
|
2,318,454.03
|
Total
|
3,642,581.40
|
1,069,929.80
|
4,617,878.95
|