Lawyers get €250,000 to ‘watch’ tribunal

WHILE the chief whistleblowers at the centre of the tribunal investigating garda corruption in Donegal have been denied paid legal representation, the Department of Justice has paid almost €250,000 to barristers just to keep a watching brief on proceedings.

The McBrearty family and associates have repeatedly and unsuccessfully appealed to the Justice Minister Michael McDowell for interim costs. Now it has emerged that a senior and junior counsel have been paid €238,000 to represent Minister McDowell’s department since the tribunal was set up two years ago.

The Minister and his department have only a peripheral involvement in the tribunal.