McCreevy to clamp down on huge cost of tribunals

FINANCE Minister Charlie McCreevy is clamping down on the exorbitant costs of tribunals and inquiries - particularly in the health sector.

Mr McCreevy has written to the Department of Health saying that in future the costs of tribunals will be controlled by the Department of Finance.

The letter stated the Minister for Finance would set the rates paid to lawyers and expert witnesses.

The letter, seen by the Irish Examiner under the Freedom of Information Act, reflects the growing tension between Mr McCreevy and Health Minister Micheál Martin. It was sent on October 10, just over two weeks after another letter in which Mr McCreevy expressed dismay at Mr Martin’s failure to use huge budgetary increases to significantly improve health services.

The Department of Health is potentially facing a number of expensive tribunals next year, including an inquiry into the role of US drug firms in the blood scandal. It is also facing calls for another tribunal to investigate the unnecessary removal of wombs from up to 90 women.

However, the October 10 letter makes it clear the Minister for Finance will control the cost of any new tribunals.

The Department of Finance letter informed Department of Health officials that, in future, the number of legal representatives, expert witnesses and their fees for all tribunals or judicial inquiries would be decided by the Department of Finance.

The letter was sent just over a fortnight after Minister McCreevy’s September 24 criticism of health spending.

Last night, a Department of Finance spokesperson said the letter did not signal a change in normal practice as the department was always involved in deciding upon tribunal payments.

This view was reiterated by a Department of Health spokesman.

But the letter was sent three years after the Department of Health set up the Lindsay Tribunal into contaminated blood products and six months after its establishment of the Dunne Inquiry into organ retention by hospitals, indicating a definite policy change.

Tribunal barristers currently earn up to €2,250 a day with junior counsels making up to €1,500. Barristers have become millionaires from working on the Moriarty and Flood Tribunals.

Yesterday Mr Martin moved to quash reports of a rift, stating the September 24 letter was standard correspondence between two departments. He (Mr McCreevy) has his job to do and I have mine and we have a very good professional relationship and a good personal relationship as well,” Mr Martin said.