THE tribunal of inquiry into payments to politicians by Dunnes Stores is expected to sit in Dublin Castle, the same venue as the beef tribunal.
It is expected to be several weeks before the first oral hearing takes place.
Government sources yesterday said the Attorney General would agree legal fees in advance.
The tribunal chairman, Mr Justice McCracken, is expected to place adverts in the media shortly giving public notice that the inquiry will be sitting. The tribunal's legal team will then be appointed.
Predicting that the tribunal, announced last week by the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, could sit for a long time and become extremely expensive, Fianna Fail's law reform spokesman, Mr Willie O'Dea, claimed it was being used by the Government as a "political gimmick".
"If Mr Dunne names a large number of people as beneficiaries of this largesse, all those named will have the right to cross examine him and to employ solicitors and barristers to protect their names," he added.
The recent decision of the Taxing Master on legal fees for Mr Larry Goodman in the beef tribunal should once again bring home to the public just how expensive judicial inquiries could be, Mr O'Dea said. "Instead of using the tribunal as a political weapon, the Government should be reaching an accommodation with the lawyers in, advance to save the taxpayers money."