Independent medical advice is to be obtained by the Moriarty tribunal about the state of health of Mr Charles Haughey, the chairman announced yesterday.
Last week, Mr Haughey's legal advisers told the tribunal that according to a medical report, Mr Haughey was terminally ill with prostate cancer and should not be called again to give evidence. It stated that the stress was shortening his life expectancy.
Mr Justice Moriarty said he was bound by common decency, fair principles and natural justice to have "very considerable regard" to Mr Haughey's health. However, he could not regard it as a fait accompli that his consultant could not consider any other alternative regime for Mr Haughey to give evidence.
Yesterday, at the resumption of the public hearings, Mr Justice Moriarty said it had not proved possible to continue with Mr Haughey's evidence.
"I have been considering the matter with the assistance of my legal team and have made arrangements to obtain medical advice from an appropriately qualified expert. I expect to be able to determine how I should proceed in this matter some time within the next one to two weeks." He also expected to be able to lay out the tribunal's plans between now and the completion of evidence which he anticipated would bring them into the new year.