The Flood and Moriarty tribunals have cost almost £6 million so far, according to figures issued by the Taoiseach and the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey.

The Flood tribunal has cost an average of £6,222 a day, including weekends, holidays and the initial set-up period before the tribunal started its work, Mr Dempsey told Mr Ivor Callely (FF, Dublin North Central) in written replies.

The Flood tribunal cost £3,446,839 since it was established on November 4th, 1997, and has held 82 public and private sittings up to May 10th, 1999, 554 days later.

To date, the Moriarty tribunal has cost £2,406,886 of which £1,840,592 went on legal fees and the remainder on administration.

In a detailed account of the Moriarty tribunal costs, the Taoiseach's Department said that the main legal costs were for fees to two senior counsel, one junior counsel and two research assistants.

The "brief" fee for the senior counsel was £25,000 and £16,500 to the junior counsel. The "refresher" fees for sitting days were £1,450 daily for the senior and £950 for the junior for the first 30 days, and a further daily fee of £1,400 for the senior and £950 for the junior for the next 20 days.

Thereafter each senior counsel is paid £1,350 a day and £900 for the junior, with the same amount for non-sitting days.