The Department of the Environment does not know the legal costs incurred by the planning tribunal over the past six years even though it pays the inquiry's bills, the committee heard yesterday.
No legal costs have been awarded for witnesses since 2002 so the department has no basis for knowing how much it will have to pay, its secretary general, Geraldine Tallon, said. The tribunal had cost €72.7 million up to the end of last year, she said, but this figure included the administrative cost of the inquiry and the tribunal's own legal team only.
Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming described the situation as unsatisfactory. The figure quoted was a "drop in the ocean" as it did not include third-party costs, he said.
Comptroller and Auditor General John Purcell suggested the legal costs could be included as a contingent liability in the Government's accounts. However, it was difficult to put a figure on the costs because so many uncertainties were involved, he said.