The Government has spent at least €250 million in the last 10 years on more than 40 separate tribunals, independent inquiries and investigations.
Figures provided to the Dáil in recent days also show that the Government has spent €3,700 to €58 million on separate inquiries, which have ranged from full-scale tribunals into political corruption to expert investigations into rail crashes.
According to a series of parliamentary questions tabled by Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe, the most expensive inquiry to date has been the planning tribunal, which has cost €58.4 million so far.
Its final cost, when it completes its work in the coming years, could rise to a multiple of this, once decisions on third party costs are finalised.
Other high cost inquiries include the Child Abuse Commission (€34 million), the Morris tribunal (€26 million) and the Moriarty tribunal (€25 million).
At present there are seven different inquiries which have yet to be completed. They include three tribunals, one statutory inquiry, and three separate commissions of investigation.
The Department of Trade has also spent €1.6 million on 14 separate inquiries into various companies under Section 19 of the Companies Act.
Most costs to date in most inquiries have been the fees paid to barristers and solicitors working for the inquiries or representing witnesses called before them.
A number of inquiries have prompted large-scale revenue investigations, which have resulted in more than €150 million in taxes, penalties and interest accruing to the State.
As of late 2005, the Revenue Commissioners had collected €64.2 million from its Ansbacher investigation, €58 million from its NIB and related inquiries, and €38.5 million from tribunal-related inquiries. The tribunal figure rose this year by at least €25 million following a record settlement by Michael and Tom Bailey of Bovale Developments.
The data release on inquiry costs also show that despite the introduction of a new fast-track independent inquiry, the commission of investigation, these are also building up significant costs.
The inquiry into the Dublin Archdiocese, which has been up and running for less than a year, has already cost €1.5 million. The commission of investigation into the Dublin Monaghan bombings, in existence for just over 12 months, has also cost €1.73 million.
Yesterday Jim O'Keeffe described the figures as " quite incredible".
"I have very strong views on such inquiries," he said, adding that inquiries should be given a focused remit, and should be required to report to the Oireachtas every six months.
"Many inquiries have done great work, but the vast majority of the costs have been in legal fees. I don't understand why there is not a competitive tendering process for legal services on these inquiries."
The Department of Health was unable to provide figures in the time available. But The Irish Times has collated figures which show the department has spent more than €70 million in the last 10 years on inquiries. This includes €45 million for the Lindsay tribunal into the contamination of blood products for haemophiliacs, €20 million on the Dunne organ retention inquiry, €3 million on the inquiry into Lourdes hospital in Drogheda, and €2.3 million into the Ferns Diocese inquiry.
The figures come amid a Government bid to introduce legislation to allow it to decide to terminate a tribunal even if the inquiry had not completed its work.
The Government had planned to fast-track legislation on the matter through the Dáil this week, but cancelled this plan on Tuesday following the controversy over payments to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. The Government claimed the decision to cancel the hearings was due to the absence of Tánaiste Michael McDowell from the Dáil this week.
Mr O'Keeffe said Fine Gael had no problem with allowing the Oireachtas to close down a tribunal, but said this power could not rest solely with the Government and needed to be on an all-party basis. He also accused Government of failing to implement plans to cut fees paid to tribunal and inquiry lawyers.