Final tribunal bill likely to be half the predicted €1bn

A REPORT by the state spending watchdog is expected to show the final bill for the cost of the three tribunals of inquiry will be far less than the €1 billion-plus previously predicted.

Details of the investigation by Comptroller and Auditor General John Buckley must be made public by mid-March, three months after he submitted the report to Finance Minister Brian Lenihan on December 16.

The examination of the costs of the Mahon, Moriarty and Morris Tribunals was initiated by Mr Buckley’s predecessor, John Purcell, last year, and is believed to place the final bill at around €500 million. In February 2007, then justice minister Michael McDowell predicted the bill for the Mahon Tribunal would reach €1bn. This was strongly refuted at the time by tribunal chairman Judge Alan Mahon, who suggested the cost would be closer to €300m.

In the first of its spending cut announcements last July, the Government promised to review the costs of tribunals and Defence Minister Willie O’Dea signalled legislation would be introduced to limit the interest that could accrue on the costs of third parties who assist the inquiries.

The Mahon tribunal finished its hearings in late October and its final report, which will include findings in relation to Bertie Ahern’s finances, will be published later this year. Judge Michael Moriarty published the first part of his report on the inquiry into payments to Charles Haughey and former minister Michael Lowry in December 2006. A final report is expected in 2009. The final Morris Tribunal reports were published last October.

PAC chairman, Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen said he expects the C&AG’s report into tribunal costs to be examined in fine detail by the committee later this year, after its anticipated publication by Mr Lenihan.