Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 17 Jun 2003

Vol. 568 No. 5

Written Answers. - Tribunals of Inquiry.

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

144 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Taoiseach 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. [16905/03]

The Taoiseach

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.

The amounts paid to the legal teams of the Moriarty and McCracken tribunals which come under the aegis of this Department are set out below:

Schedule of fees paid to counsel for the Moriarty tribunal

Name	Position	Date of appointment	Total paidto 31/5/03
			€
John Coughlan	Senior counsel	October 1997	3,146,970
Jeremiah Healy	Senior counsel	October 1997	3,280,216
Jacqueline O'Brien	Junior counsel	October 1997	2,079,864

Schedule of fees paid to counsel for the McCracken tribunal

Name	Position	Date of appointment	Total paid
			€
Denis McCullough	Senior counsel	1997	275,979 (£217,351.12)
Michael C. Collins	Senior counsel	1997	299,493 (£235,869.62)
Anthony Aston	Junior counsel	1997	274,740 (£216,375.22)