The Government today denied claims by the Opposition that it is trying to "whip up public outrage" over the costs of the Mahon tribunal ahead of the Quarryvale module of the tribunal.
Speaking this morning Minister for Social Affairs Seamus Brennan said there was "no intention whatsoever" that the Government was trying to undermine the tribunal.
Eamon Gilmore, Labour Party
Mr Brennan said: "It [the issue] goes back over two years when the Government decided it would try to reduce the fees.
"The fees were reduced in four or five of the tribunals but in one or two particular ones they didn't get to do it. As I understand it a date was agreed for the end of March 2007, and this date was agreed a long time ago, so it's nothing to do with elections."
The Minister also denied that it would suit the Taoiseach to deal with Quarryvale module after the general election. "He's made it clear time and time again he would never interfere in any way . . . say to them hurry up slow down."
Labour's Eamon Gilmore said on RTÉ radio this morning that the row was "at the very least" about delaying the hearing of the module - which is seen as most embarrassing for members of the Government - until after the general election.
He said: "After 10 years of this tribunal being in existence they [the Government] are suddenly getting hot and bothered about the length of it just three weeks before they enter the Quarryvale module.
"This whole row has more to do with delaying the Quarryvale module than it has to do with paying the lawyers," he added.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny asked if the Government had something to hide. "It does seem strange and sinister and stretches credibility that this Government should be raising issues of cost effectiveness 12 weeks before an election," he said.
Seamus Brennan
"Obviously the country is talking about one particular module of this tribunal, but clearly at a time when you're running into a general election it is strange or somewhat sinister that he [the Minister for Justice] starts throwing his weight around.
"Why did the Government not reduce fees in the past when they had ample opportunity to do that over the last number of years?" the Fine Gael leader said.
Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party said that a public row between a Minister and a sitting judge was "extraordinary".
"I think its an attempt by Michael McDowell to take attention away from difficulties his party is going through at the moment," he added.
Yesterday the chairman of the planning tribunal, Judge Alan Mahon, said the total figure should not exceed €300 million, far short of the €1 billion figure estimated by Tánaiste Michael McDowell.
In a letter to the Dáil clerk, Judge Alan Mahon also revealed that he told the Government two weeks ago that it would conclude its work in early 2008.
The letter came in the wake of a claim by Mr McDowell that the tribunal, which began investigating planning corruption 10 years ago, could cost more than €1 billion and his comment that the tribunal could not go on forever.