The Flood tribunal is about to create its first barrister millionaires, as legal fees for the protracted hearings begin to mount.
Fees earned by Mr Pat Hanratty SC and Mr John Gallagher SC for their work on the tribunal since December 1997 are on the brink of exceeding £1 million each. Mr Hanratty has probably already passed this milestone; his recorded fees amounted to £954,002.86 up to the start of March, according to the Department of the Environment.
With average earnings of almost £37,000 a month, Mr Hanratty's fees have almost certainly passed the £1 million mark by now.
His colleague, Mr Gallagher, has been paid £960,175.79, covering the period up to the end of March. Mr Desmond O'Neill SC, who joined the tribunal in July 1998, earned £780,075.65 up to March 23rd.
Senior counsel are paid £1,350 each working day, whether or not the tribunal is in public session. Junior counsel earn £900 a day. The tribunal has cost £10.67 million, according to the latest figures from the Department.
More than £5 million of this has gone on legal fees. The monthly cost is accelerating with the recent appointment of five staff.
The fees paid to individual lawyers on the tribunal team are as follows: (dates in brackets indicate the period for which the payments apply): Mr Patrick Hanratty SC £954,002.86 (December 12th, 1997 to March 2nd, 2001); Mr John Gallagher SC £960,175.79 (December 12th, 1997 to March 30th, 2001); Mr Desmond O'Neill SC £780,075.65 (July 24th, 1998 to March 23rd, 2001); Mr Felix McEnroy SC £418,870 (December 12th, 1997 to July 30th, 1999); Ms Patricia Dillon SC £604,570.30 (July 24th, 1998 to March 30th, 2001); Ms Eunice O'Raw BL £542,974.53 (July 20th, 1998 to March 9th, 2001); Ms Mairead Coughlan BL £404,304.49 (December 12th, 1997 to February 16th, 2001); Ms Maire Anne Howard, solicitor £299,919.18 (March 2nd, 1998 to January 12th, 2001).
