Flood claims politicians want to close Mahon tribunal

The former chairman of the Mahon (formerly Flood) tribunal has said politicians want to close it down.

Retired High Court judge Mr Justice Feargus Flood said there were serious matters that required to be exposed to the public and he would be very sad to see the tribunal "closed down".

He was speaking in the wake of Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling which legal sources have said may curtail the number of matters the tribunal will now be able to investigate.

Mr Justice Flood said that when someone "is inquiring into something which is, shall we say, tender, or which you have some associations with or which in some particular approach could do damage to the reputations of A or B, or whoever it may be, there's a natural desire to close that inquiry down.

"That is effectively what the politicians want - to close it down, because there are serious matters which do require to be exposed to the public. That's what the tribunal has established through the course of its career."

Mr Justice Flood was speaking on the Lunchtime programme on Newstalk 106-108 FM. He could not be contacted last night.

Asked for his reaction to Wednesday's Supreme Court decision, Mr Justice Flood said he would not "cross swords" with Mrs Justice Susan Denham, of that court. "I think she's a superb girl and a woman of great integrity. Having said that, I think there are a number of things in Irish public life which are worthy of careful inquiry, provided the parameters of that inquiry are laid down carefully and come within what the Oireachtas has said to the tribunal."

Mr Justice Flood said it was his view that the tribunal had done a very good job insofar as it had made reports to date. He said tribunals dealt with people's integrity and so great care must be taken. This took time and led to substantial costs. He said his successor, Judge Alan Mahon, was an "extremely upright man" as were Judge Mahon's two colleagues. "I have the highest regard for them."

Asked if the tribunal should be allowed to conclude its business, Mr Justice Flood said: "I think it is absolutely desirable in Irish life that we know what the truth is. It's as simple as that."