Further hearings likely for Moriarty

THE long-running Moriarty Tribunal, which concluded its work in May, may now have to hold further public hearings in 2009.

The public inquiry was established in 1997 to probe payments to politicians such as former taoiseach Charlie Haughey and former government minister Michael Lowry.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen told the Dáil that tribunal chairman, Justice Michael Moriarty was compiling his report but more public hearings may be scheduled in coming weeks.