Illness, workload and printing problems delayed Barr report

A mystery illness to Mr Justice Robert Barr, a heavy workload and printing problems caused unforeseen delays in publishing the Barr Tribunal’s report, it was claimed today.

When evidence finished in December 2004, the retired High Court judge said his findings would be released six months later, in June 2005.

Opposition TDs, including Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, have criticised the Government over the delay in publishing the report which was expected to be published several times in recent months.

However, Mr Justice Barr today admitted that he had originally underestimated the heavy workload which he explained was stalled by printing difficulties and an unidentified illness that incapacitated him for six weeks.

He also criticised media coverage of the unavoidable hold-up which he said suggested the probe had been doing nothing for 12 months.

He said: “It was stated that originally I had expressed the hope that the report would be published in June 2005 – six months after ending submissions in December 2004.

“Well, that may have been a hopeful aspiration I had upon completion of the evidence. It soon became apparent when the work was underway that at best the publication could not be achieved in less than one year of the evidence.”

A total of 208 transcripts of daily evidence, which ran to an average of 150 pages each, had to be carefully assessed and summarised in a fair and reasonable way.

“There were also hundreds of pages of reports and other documentation,” he added.

Mr Justice Barr said he had hoped the report would be ready for printing last Easter but two unexpected problems occurred.

He continued: “I had a period of in-patient treatment in hospital which with convalescence afterwards caused me to lose six weeks.

“Secondly, some unexpected printing problems took time to sort out.”

He added: “I think it’s fair to say the end result was that no time was wasted by this tribunal in preparing this report and it was published as soon as reasonably practicable in all circumstances.

“People reading the papers yesterday might think that we were doing nothing for about 12 months or so. I wish that was the case but nothing could be further from the truth.

“The last year was hard going. A lot of work.”

Mr Rabbitte last month accused the Government of deliberately stalling the publication of the report ntil after the Dáil summer recess.

However, Tánaiste Mary Harney said the Oireachtas would debate the report as soon as possible, and a Dáil debate is expected when it resumes in the autumn.