No wonder people are sceptical

Nobody is likely to have been surprised that Mr Justice Feargus Flood concluded in his third interim report that George Redmond received corrupt payments, or that he and other people hindered the work of the Flood Tribunal.

Those who are found to have obstructed the tribunal’s work should certainly not have their legal expenses paid by the State.

In fact, such people should be compelled to contribute significantly towards the State’s legal expense, and they should have to face the rigours of the law for any criminal misconduct, whether that is for the bribery involved in corrupt payments, or perjury in relation to misleading testimony before the tribunals.

It is little wonder that people have become sceptical about the efficacy of tribunals. Mr Justices McCracken and Flood minced few words in their reports, but there have been no prosecutions.

Witnesses have been allowed to frustrate the work of one tribunal after another, without anyone being held responsible. At times, some of the tribunals have almost degenerated into farce with perjury being treated as if it were some kind of creative veracity, while the time wasting of lawyers, behaving like neurotic prima donnas, is rewarded with profligate payments at the expense of the taxpayer.

Enough is enough, and we have already had more than enough.