Justice Flood to leave tribunal

AFTER presiding over the country’s longest-running tribunal for more than five years, Mr Justice Feargus Flood is to step down as chairman.

But the 75-year-old former High Court judge is to remain for the time being as a member of the tribunal, along with Judge Alan Mahon and Judge Mary Flaherty.

The tribunal, which over the past five-and-a-half years has heard 390 days of evidence, is investigating corruption in planning.

Apart from indicating to the Department of the Environment his decision to step down as chairman, Mr Justice Flood is expected to retire from the tribunal when he wraps up a number of outstanding issues from the tribunal’s earlier investigations into former Fianna Fáil foreign minister Ray Burke, as well as the question of legal costs.

Appointed as a reserve member of the tribunal at Dublin Castle, Judge Gerald Keys is likely to take Mr Justice Flood’s place, but it is not clear when the latter will leave the chair.

Officially, the inquiry is known as the Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments. With the current chairman’s departure, a new popular title will have to be found.

Investigations into allegations of planning corruption at Carrickmines, south Dublin won’t be affected by Mr Justice Flood’s departure as three of his colleagues have been present for all the evidence presented to date.

Last year he silenced criticism of the tribunal’s value and high cost when his interim report found that payments made to Mr Burke were corrupt.

Over the past five years the tribunal has managed to completed three investigation modules. It has 20 more to do. Mr Justice Flood was already past normal pension age when he was appointed to the tribunal in November 1997.