07.14.06

Moriarty and Boys to go on at full rates

Posted in Domestic/Relationships at 11:26 am by Sarah

Yet again Bertie tells a heap of lies…the counsel at the Moriarty Tribunal are to keep going on the full rates (2.5k PER DAY)…….from today’s IT

“The Government has decided to extend the life of two long-running tribunals by up to a year at full rates of pay for barristers, despite past efforts to curb escalating legal fees.

Last November, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern insisted that Moriarty lawyers’ fees would be cut dramatically, from €2,500 a day to €900 a day, if the tribunal failed to finish its work by the end of June.

He told the Dáil then: “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.”

The Government attempted in September 2004 to cut fees quickly but abandoned the effort because of fears that barristers would quit, bringing investigations to a halt.

The fees, which exceed €2,500 a day for senior counsel, were to have been cut to  €900 under the plan first put forward by then minister for finance, Charlie McCreevy, in early July 2004.

The lower rates apply to all new tribunals, but ministers accepted that they would not apply to existing tribunals after Attorney General Rory Brady spoke with the heads of all of the inquiries.

Last February, the Taoiseach said the total costs incurred by the Moriarty tribunal from 1997 to end of January 2006 was €22,587,982, including barristers’ fees and administration costs.

“The total payment made to the legal team was €17,134,415 up to January 31st, 2006.

“The total cost incurred by my department in respect of this tribunal during 2005 was €3,437,023. The total cost for 2006 to January 31st is €507,710,” he declared.

Responding to Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, Mr Ahern said he had expected Mr Justice Moriarty’s final report by the end of this year, subject to it finishing oral hearings by the end of June.”

Keep an eye out for one thing – these figures they give are for the running costs. When everyone costs come in the Moriarty Tribunal will probably exceed €100m..and for what? I’d be very interested to see what the Digifone module alone cost. And out of that €100m, will they choose to save a few quid and make a precious little point with me?

Permalink