Mr Charles Haughey will not be appearing at the Moriarty tribunal this week due to a medical condition, the chairman announced yesterday.
The former Taoiseach last took the witness box on Tuesday, October 3rd, and was due to return yesterday. The tribunal is expected to indicate within the next week how it will proceed.
Mr Haughey has so far spent 12 days giving evidence which has been limited to two hours a day.
At a sitting of only two minutes yesterday, Mr Justice Moriarty said he was considering altering the length of time Mr Haughey spent in the witness box when he was able to resume giving evidence.
The chairman said a contingency had arisen within the last day or so arising from information from Mr Eoin McGonigal SC, for Mr Haughey. "Mr McGonigal has informed the tribunal that in the light of Mr Haughey's medical condition, he will not be able to give evidence this week," he said.
A further medical report and further assistance had been provided to the tribunal concerning Mr Haughey's medical condition.
"I am now examining the position with a view to considering whether it would be appropriate to make some alterations in the regime whereby Mr Haughey gives evidence in or about two hours for three or four days a week," he said.
While it was regrettable that the tribunal's proceedings might be delayed for a few days, it was equally important that every witness testifying should have every opportunity to give a good account of himself or herself.
Within reason, the tribunal would endeavour to accommodate itself to a witness's short-term or long-term health requirements.
The chairman said the tribunal lawyers would be discussing the matter with Mr Haughey's lawyers over the next day or two.
"I do not expect that this will pose a major difficulty and the tribunal will within the next week indicate how it intends to proceed," he said.
To date, while taking the evidence of Mr Haughey, the tribunal had not taken other evidence. The chairman said he intended to include the evidence of other witnesses at resumed sittings.