The Moriarty tribunal, which is due to conclude in January 2006, has cost €17.8 million up to the end of last month, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, revealed, writes Michael O'Regan.
"This includes fees paid to counsel for the tribunal and administration costs incurred to date since the establishment of the tribunal in October 1997."
The House approved amendments to the terms of reference of the tribunal, which the Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche, said were necessary to allow it complete its work by 2007.
"Notwithstanding the fact that the tribunal was expanded to include three members in 2001, the work of the tribunal, based on its term of reference, has proved to be unwieldy," he said.
"As a result, the tribunal, in its fourth interim report, requested a change to its terms of reference to allow it more discretion in the issues that it investigates to shorten the anticipated duration of the tribunal's activities."
Mr Roche said he intended to bring a short Bill before the Oireachtas within weeks to give legal backing to the discretion being granted to the tribunal to decide which issues to investigate.
Fine Gael spokesman Mr Fergus O'Dowd said it would have been preferable if the Government had been more inclusive in its contacts, and had given the Opposition more opportunity to contribute to contacts with Judge Mahon.
Labour spokesman Mr Eamon Gilmore expressed concern about the prohibition on the investigation of future matters by the tribunal. "Any matter which is brought to the tribunal's attention after December 16th next will not be capable of being investigated by this tribunal, which is far too restrictive a condition to place on the terms of reference."