Tribunals of inquiry - Expensive but so very unavoidable

OF COURSE the tribunals were far too expensive. Of course they took far too long to report, and of course they were too cumbersome and fragmented; most certainly there were inappropriate leaks.

Of course there was a ready-made and persistent chorus of disapproval eager to deride them. It mattered not one whit that this Greek-chorus-for-hire had questionable motives and would have been happy to cheer had the tribunals been curtailed before their investigations were complete.

There was even a sinister attack on the Mahon Tribunal by some of Bertie Ahern’s cabinet, especially by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern, when the tribunal was reaching conclusions with Mr Ahern. Of course the legal fees were beyond comprehension, and of course it must be all done differently the next time.

There is, however, an answer to one question that renders all the systematic weaknesses and excesses irrelevant: Were the tribunals necessary? Of course they were. Not only were they necessary, they were unavoidable. Had they been more effective, had they been able to report more quickly, had they not been hindered at every hands turn by the great and the good Ireland might not now be considered the untamed frontier of European finance. The consequences of that perception become more startling every day.

Even today, especially today, as we struggle with a once-in-a-lifetime crisis facilitated by see-no-evil, hear-no-evil regulation, how could anyone suggest that we do not need a powerful process to investigate the inevitable and entirely human suspicions rooted in the corridors where business and politics meet?

This is a sad but unavoidable truth in a country where the reputations of two of our recent taoisigh did not survive the scrutiny brought to bear by these tribunals. Indeed, Mr Cowen might not be Taoiseach but for the difficulties Mr Ahern encountered at the Mahon Tribunal. Remember, Mr Ahern’s preferred date of departure — his 60th birthday — is still 18 months away.

A report published by the Auditor and Comptroller General yesterday says that the three main tribunals could cost more than e430 million, considerably less than was anticipated. This may seem a lot, but when you consider that the objective was to confront corruption, perceived or real, at the highest level of public life it was money well spent. Not confronting these questions would have been even more expensive.

This is especially so when you consider that we are paying e500m just to clean up the country’s farmyards. Surely the integrity of our public affairs is more important to us than cleaning up after cows?

The Auditor and Comptroller General makes a number of suggestions as to how tribunals — or whatever entity replaces them — might be made more effective and these must be considered at length.

Whatever form this body takes, and no matter what authorities or bureaus are amalgamated, we must have an entity with the resources and power to confront corruption. Only yesterday Environment Minister John Gormley called for a crackdown on white-collar crime. The vast majority of our politicians are honest and committed to high standards in high places, so they should have no problem making this come to pass.