Lawlor to deliver all documents before deadline

The former Fianna Fáil TD, Mr Liam Lawlor, says he will deliver all the documents required from him by the Flood tribunal before the expiry of a High Court deadline this evening.

A source close to the TD said he had done "all humanly possible" to comply with the court's order and "can't do anything more".

Last February, the High Court jailed Mr Lawlor for a month and ordered him to make further and better discovery of documents on or before April 9th.

The documents at issue largely relate to the politician's bank accounts in the US and Liechtenstein and his sons' bank accounts in Ireland and the US. He is believed to have travelled to the Czech Republic twice and to London to obtain information from his financial associates for the tribunal. Mr Lawlor said last night he still hadn't made a decision on whether to run in the general election, which is expected next month.

He said he planned to consult associates in the Dublin Mid-West constituency later this week before making a decision. However, political observers in the constituency say it is unlikely that the TD could run an effective campaign as an independent at this late stage. Opinion polls have indicated he has no chance of being elected.

The TD confirmed that he had paid the €12,700 fine imposed by Mr Justice Smyth in the High Court last February. Because the fine was paid several days late, he was required to pay interest of €27.83, he said. The Taxing Master, Mr Charles Moran, is due to rule today on a claim by the tribunal for €243,000 in costs from Mr Lawlor. The claim relates to five pieces of High Court and Supreme Court proceedings involving the parties.

Mr Lawlor is contesting the tribunal's overall claim for €560,000 in costs. A legal cost accountant argued last month on his behalf that certain items - in particular, solicitors' fees - were excessive and that the overall bill should be about €250,000.

Mr Moran has already agreed to most of the other items sought by the tribunal.

Mr Lawlor has so far served a total of six weeks in jail for failing to comply with the tribunal. The tribunal's legal bill relates only to proceedings leading to the first two terms of imprisonment; bills for the third jail sentence of a month have yet to be dealt with.

If the tribunal remains unhappy with the level of compliance by the TD after he files documents, it will have to formally begin a new set of legal proceedings seeking orders of committal and attachment against him.

It is unclear whether these proceedings would be heard by Mr Justice Smyth.