Deadline extended for Moriarty tribunal

The Moriarty tribunal has been given a 5½ month deadline extension to complete its work, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil, as he revealed that the tribunal has cost €21,364,879 to date.

The new deadline also means the introduction of a new reduced legal fee system for tribunals will also be delayed by the same time period.

It was expected to begin on January 11th, 2006, the original estimated date for the investigation's completion, the Taoiseach said. The inquiry's deadline has been extended to June 30th next. Mr Ahern said new tribunal legislation to allow for the new fee system will be enacted by then. Of the tribunal's total cost, €16,052,473 has been paid to the inquiry's legal team to date.

Mr Ahern said: "There should be no obstacle to reducing fees payable to lawyers appearing before the Moriarty tribunal after that date, in the event that it has not completed its work by then," he said.

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said, however, that pushing back the date was something "that cannot be passed off with the reply that the date has been shifted".

He claimed the Taoiseach was "on the back foot" due to the delay in introducing the new legislation and that "the solicitors are essentially calling the shots". He claimed it was "blackmail" by the legal lobby.

But Mr Ahern said "that would be entirely unfair both to the legal team and to Justice Moriarty".

Mr Sargent said it was becoming "increasingly clear that the Taoiseach must not simply come into the House and say he is pushing back the date on which the new rates kick in. On June 22nd, he said that if there was to be any change in the coming into force of the new fees by January 2006, he would bring the matter back before the House."

The deadline extension was agreed at Cabinet yesterday following a request from the tribunal and Mr Ahern said that "were it not for genuine delays and additional work, the new fees regime would be in place anyway".

The estimated cost of the Moriarty tribunal for this year is €10.552 million.

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said that in "assessing the balance sheet" of the tribunal it was fair to say "that it has been obstructed many times as various parties have had resort to the courts".

Fine Gael's deputy leader Richard Bruton said there was an issue for bringing forward the introduction of the reduced fee scale for legal fees.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Sinn Féin, Cavan-Monaghan) asked "what lobby was employed to get the Taoiseach and his colleagues to concede the extension of the old rate".