Haughey report responses due today

Parties who are about to be subjected to negative findings in the forthcoming Moriarty tribunal report on the late Charles Haughey, have until today to respond.

The tribunal has completed its report into the former taoiseach and a few months ago notified a range of people and organisations about negative findings it intended making. The report is expected to be strongly critical of Mr Haughey and to say he obstructed and delayed its inquiries. It is also expected to be critical of the wide range of parties who made payments to Mr Haughey. Mr Haughey's solicitors have responded to the tribunal.

The purpose of notifying parties who are to be subjected to negative comment, or findings, is to provide the parties with an opportunity to respond. These responses may then affect, or be incorporated into, the published report.

Sources close to a number of parties who have been notified have complained that nothing can be done legally to seek to prevent the negative comment ending up in the report, without the intended comment being aired in the courts.

Sources close to the Haughey family have said they are surprised what they said was the "harsh" tone of the expected comments concerning Mr Haughey. His family could be faced with significant costs if the tribunal refuses to grant Mr Haughey his legal costs, or even seeks to have his estate pay some of the tribunal's own costs.

Meanwhile, the tribunal is expected to hold more hearings before it publishes reports on the aspects of its inquiries concerning the former communications minister, Michael Lowry. It may yet hold further hearings concerning possible financial links between Mr Lowry and the founder of Esat Digifone, Denis O'Brien.

The tribunal's findings concerning Mr Lowry are not expected to be published until next year. The key issue will be whether the tribunal finds that Mr Lowry interfered with the mobile phone licence competition.