The Government has signed off on new measures designed to bring about significant reductions in the fees it pays to tribunal lawyers.
While details of the new fee structures were not published last night, they are expected to reduce the daily rate for senior counsel to about €900 from €2,500. Similar reductions will be imposed in the daily rate for junior counsel.
Such measures are among a number of efforts by the Government to curb the cost of tribunals. The State has spent almost €190 million on the inquiries since 1991, with lawyers receiving more than €132 million.
Other developments include a new system of commissions of investigation, which will conduct their work in private.
It is understood that the Attorney General, Mr Rory Brady, will consult with the leaders of the Opposition before the details of the new fee structure are made public. It is believed that there are no plans to consult with the Bar Council, which represents barristers.
While the plans are being finalised by the Department of Finance, there is no requirement for any further Cabinet discussion on the new measures.
Sources indicated last night that the Government would respond soon to a request for additional legal resources from the Mahon planning tribunal. In the light of yesterday's Cabinet decision, the sources said it was likely that any new barristers or solicitors recruited by the tribunal would be paid on the lower scale.
The tribunal declined to comment on its request for additional resources. Requesting additional legal resources in an interim report last month, Judge Alan Mahon said the tribunal was "stretched to breaking point".
While seeking a drastic reduction of the tribunal's workload and a substantial increase in its legal staff, he warned that even with the appointment of more staff, the tribunal still had another 10 or 11 years to run.