Moriarty tribunal cost €550,000 in first half of year

Almost 2½ years after it issued its final report, the costs of the Moriarty tribunal continue to accumulate. Over half a million euros was spent on legal costs and other expenses in the first six months of 2013.

Solicitors representing Dunnes Stores received almost €170,000 in legal costs relating to the Moriarty tribunal, according to spending data released by the Department of the Taoiseach under the Freedom of Information Act.

The database reveals that William Fry Solicitors received two payments, one for €137,567.41 and the other for €31,640.51, relating to Dunnes Stores’ legal costs arising from the tribunal. Third-party legal costs were also made to the solicitors of Jack Stakelum, an accountant and associate of Charles Haughey, in the sum of almost €79,000.

A further €27,000 was spent on other third-party legal costs including €10,417 paid to the solicitors of Jarlath Burke, a former legal adviser to Esat Telecom. Professional fees paid to legal representatives in the six-month period between the beginning of January and the end of June this year include €109,351 paid to tribunal solicitor Stuart Brady and €92,050 paid to barrister Stephen McCullough.

Other costs in the six-month period covered by the database include €10,255 spent on IT software, support and equipment and €738 for the hosting of the Moriarty tribunal website. More than €300 was spent on pest control costs, while €181 was spent on mineral water.

The total cost of the tribunal for the first six months of 2013 stood at €545,593.

The Tribunal Report into Payments to Politicians and Related Matters, better known as the Moriarty tribunal, was set up in 1997 to inquire into payments to the late Fianna Fáil taoiseach Charles Haughey and to former Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry. Sitting in Dublin Castle, it was chaired by Mr Justice Michael Moriarty.

The tribunal published two reports, one in 2006 and a second, two-volume report in 2011.