McDowell to consider alternatives to tribunals

CHEAPER and speedier alternatives to costly tribunals are to be established to investigate issues of major public interest, it emerged last night.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said these new inquiries, which will rely less on the legal profession, will be used to investigate issues such as clerical abuse in Dublin.

However, most of the proceedings of the inquiries will take place in private and there is no guarantee their findings will ever be published.