To much relief in certain political quarters, it is now probable the Dail will not be sitting when Ray Burke takes the stand at the Flood Tribunal within the next few weeks. The tribunal was to resume this week after the break for the election campaigns, but the continuing Liam Lawlor case in the High Court has held it up and then the action between the tribunal and the Criminal Assets Bureau over the George Redmond papers started. Consequently, Flood will resume on June 28th and the star witness is unlikely to be called by the time the Dail starts its early recess at the end of that week.
Burke has given a statement to the tribunal, but there is a fear in political circles that additions to his evidence when he takes the stand could, by casting light on certain practices of the Haughey era, destabilise the Government. If the Dail is not sitting, the potential for damage is limited. There are few things a government fears more, thanks to recent experience, than a daily drip of revelations from Dublin Castle, and the occasional Scud, which is then the subject of heated exchange on the floor of the Dail.
Meanwhile, members of the Committee on Public Accounts travel to Washington next week to examine the operation of the US compellability legislation - similar to the powers the committee is acquiring to examine bogus non-resident bank accounts and which will allow it to compel witnesses to attend.