McCreevy to limit tribunal ‘gravy train’

New measures to limit the exorbitant fees earned by barristers at tribunal will shortly be brought to the Cabinet by Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy.

Mr McCreevy, speaking during the Árd Fheis, said the tribunals had never been intended to be a "gravy train" for lawyers. Referring to the fact that State-side lawyers had earned a total of €68 million to October 2003, he said the final bill from lawyers on all sides will run into many hundreds of million euro.

"You cannot tolerate a situation like that. The costs of these tribunal need to be curbed in some way This gravy train has to stop."