THE TAOISEACH has offered to meet Opposition leaders next week to discuss a suggestion from Mr Justice Michael Moriarty that he might issue his tribunal report in two separate sections released at different stages.
In a seven-page letter which was sent to Clerk of the Dáil Kieran Coughlan last Tuesday, before being circulated to the leaders of the Dáil parties on Thursday, Mr Justice Moriarty said he was considering publishing a portion of the final report ahead of the second and final volume.
A report on the “money trail” involving former Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry would be published first with the investigation into the awarding of the first mobile phone licence at a later stage.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore indicated they were not enthusiastic about the proposal.
Mr Kenny repeated a suggestion he made in the Dáil earlier on Thursday that the party leaders should meet to agree a response to the specifics of the judge’s letter.
Speaking after the opening of the M7/M8 motorway extension at Portlaoise yesterday, Mr Cowen said: “The sole member of the Moriarty Tribunal has written to the Clerk of the Dáil. All party leaders have that correspondence. I have indicated to my colleagues, leaders of the Opposition, that we should sit down and discuss that next week.
“The sole member refers to the fact that he’s keeping an open mind in relation to how he will deal with the finalisation of the report. Whether it will come as one overall report or not remains to be seen but what I’m hearing from colleagues is, that would be a preference, I think, that people would have, but at the end of the day it’s a matter for the sole member to consider.”
Day of reckoning for Moriarty tribunal is nigh: Stephen Collins, page 13