In the past 12 years, 19 judicial tribunals were established. Their extravagant costs and seemingly interminable legal wrangling have seriously damaged the public standing of the legal profession.

A study by the State's spending watchdog has found that the Mahon, Moriarty and Morris tribunals are likely to cost a total of up to €366m.

A REPORT by the state spending watchdog is expected to show the final bill for the cost of the three tribunals of inquiry will be far less than the €1 billion-plus previously predicted.

Legislation designed to reform how tribunals operate will not apply to existing inquiries, the Government said today.