The Mahon Tribunal may have cost over a billion euro and cannot "go on forever", the Tánaiste Michael McDowell has said.
The inquiry into planning corruption was established in 1997 under the chairmanship of Mr Justice Feargus Flood, now retired. It is now chaired by Judge Alan Mahon, who published the 4 threport of the tribunal in June 2004.
Tanaiste Michael McDowell
Mr McDowell today claimed that the tribunal has already cost one billion euro when all fees and expenses are considered.
"I believe that the Mahon Tribunal could well have accumulated costs, including third party costs, which will, when the dust settles, exceed one billion euro."
"And at some stage, we have to ask ourselves is it worth proceeding any further in those circumstances."
Mr McDowell was speaking as he launched a Progressive Democrats poster highlighting the party's performance in Government.
Asked about the Mahon tribunal costs, the Tánaiste said: "It can't go on forever. One billion euro is a lot of money to spend on investigating corruption in our local government process.
"I think people already have a fairly clear view of what went wrong and that there was corruption and at some point this money could have been spent on hospitals, roads, pensions and other things.
"We have to ask ourselves do we keep going on relentlessly to the bitter end and pouring more and more money into an inquiry that is just confirming what we know already."
Mr McDowell was speaking after statements were made in the Dail on the report of the Moriarty tribunal, which was highly critical of former taoiseach Charles Haughey.
The Labour Party said Mr McDowell's comments, which it claimed could be regarded as threatening the Mahon tribunal with closure, were "both sinister and disturbing".
Environment spokesman Eamon Gilmore said the tribunal is due to begin hearings on the Quarryvale module, "potentially the most significant section of its work".
"Along with the general public, the Labour Party is very concerned about escalating costs associated with various Tribunals, mainly in regard to lawyers' fees," he said.
"However, the fees for the tribunals were negotiated and approved by the Fianna Fail/PD government, many of them when Mr. McDowell was Attorney General. In addition, the government has failed to deliver on promises that it would control the level of lawyers' fees.
"Failure of the Fianna Fáil/PD government to act on lawyers' fees would not provide any justification to close down the Mahon tribunal. This is particularly so when the tribunal is scheduled shortly to begin dealing with what will potentially be the most significant section of its work - the Quarryvale module - and when the Taoiseach is due to give evidence in the near future."
"It appears that the Progressive Democrats are now so securely handcuffed to Fianna Fáil, that they have abandoned any pretence of independence and no longer feel the need to shine a light on the murkier activities of some Fianna Fáil members and their developer friends," he added.
MrGilmore said it was also significant that the Progressive Democrats failed to offer a speaker when statements were made in the Dáil today on the report of the Moriarty tribunal.
However, Mr McDowell said earlier that the PDs "know exactly where they stand" on the Moriarty tribunal. The public also knew "exactly where I stand and where the party stands" on Charles Haughey However, there were only 90 minutes of speeches on the matter in the Dail today and he did not think a five-minute speech to the House was needed.
Fine Gael said it wanted to see the Mahon Tribunal continue its work — but in a quicker and more cost-effective manner. "This can still be achieved by the Government by following through on commitments to reduce legal fees, run parallel sessions by each of the three judges and by ending the obstruction of the Tribunal by witnesses," said environment spokesman Fergus O'Dowd. "Fine Gael will not agree to its abolition," he added.
Additional reporting: PA