Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 17 Jun 2003

Vol. 568 No. 5

Written Answers. - Tribunals of Inquiry.

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

328 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism 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. [16913/03]

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism (Mr. O'Donoghue)

Counsel who are appointed to a tribunal or non-statutory inquiry to represent the tribunal or non-statutory inquiry itself are usually selected and appointed by the chairman of the tribunal or non-statutory inquiry in consultation with the Attorney General. Counsel who advise or represent parliamentary committee inquiries are usually selected and appointed by the parliamentary committee itself.

On 10 February 1998 the Government decided that an independent inquiry into matters relating to child sexual abuse in swimming be carried out by Dr. Roderick Murphy, SC, Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. In arriving at its decision, the Government took account of all issues arising, including the concerns of victims, the desire for privacy of a number of victims and their families and the wider policy issue of how best child sex abuse cases should be handled in such circumstances in future. The report was made public by the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Tourism, Sport and Recreation on 17 June 1998. The legal costs incurred by victims who attended the inquiry along with the provision for other legal costs of the inquiry were paid from the Vote for the Office of the Attorney General.