Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 17 Jun 2003

Vol. 568 No. 5

Written Answers. - Tribunals of Inquiry.

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

296 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has the authority to appoint legal teams or representatives to tribunals, inquiries or other public committees of investigation under the aegis of his Department; the criteria used in the selection and appointment of these legal teams or representatives; the amount paid, or payable to date, which has been discharged, or is due to be discharged, from public funds to appointed legal teams or representatives since 1997; the names of legal teams or representatives appointed since 1997; the moneys paid or payable to these persons since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16911/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

A number of inquiries have been established by or operating with funding from my Department since 1997. The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was set up on a statutory basis on 23 May 2000 to inquire into child abuse. The following counsel have been nominated to me by the Attorney General and appointed as counsel to represent me in relation to matters concerning the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: John McMenamin SC; Doirbhile Flanagan SC; David Goldberg SC; Francis J. Griffin BL; Ann Power BL; Barry Halton BL; Brendan Gogarty BL.

The Residential Institutions Redress Board and Redress Review Committee were established on a statutory basis on 16 December 2002 to enable victims of childhood abuse while in residential or institutional care to make applications for financial redress. The Chief State Solicitor acts as solicitor to members of the Government and does not charge fees. Instead the costs of this service are met from funds voted to the Attorney General for the purpose. Nomination and payment of counsel to represent me in inquiries is also a matter for the Attorney General, and accordingly I do not have details of the moneys paid or payable to these people.

A number of single member, non-statutory inquiries have been established during the period in question. Neither I, nor my predecessors, were legally represented before them.