Two Oireachtas committees have been granted legal representation at the Morris tribunal, which is investigating allegations of Garda corruption in Donegal.
A scheduled hearing into the matter was adjourned for a week, however, due to the sudden death at the weekend of the mother of Senator Jim Higgins, who along with Wexford TD Mr Brendan Howlin has been ordered by the tribunal to hand over telephone and fax records of contacts with anonymous sources.
As former justice spokesmen for Fine Gael and Labour respectively, Senator Higgins and Mr Howlin were confidentially informed of allegations of Garda corruption in Co Donegal, and passed on this information to the then minister for justice, Mr John O'Donoghue.
Mr Brian Murray SC for the Dáil and Seanad Committees on Procedures and Privileges requested limited representation in connection with the applications for discovery.
Acceding to the request, Mr Justice Frederick Morris said that, while neither committee was a party to the tribunal, he recognised they had a "real and bona fide" interest in the outcome of the motion. Accordingly, it seemed appropriate that the relevant counsel should be allowed to make submissions after counsel for Senator Higgins and Mr Howlin.
Submissions will now be heard on Tuesday, February 18th. Mr Murray said he would furnish written submissions to the inquiry on behalf of his clients in the interim.