The Tribunal of Inquiry Into Certain Planning Matters and Payments (Irish: Binse Fiosrúcháin um Chúrsaí Pleanála agus Íochaíochta Áirithe), commonly known as the Mahon Tribunal, was a public inquiry in the Republic of Ireland established by Dáil Éireann in 1997 to investigate allegations of corrupt payments to politicians regarding political decisions.[1] It mostly investigated planning permissions and land rezoning issues in the 1990s in the Dublin County Council area. Judge Alan Mahon was the final chair of the tribunal and its other members were Judge Mary Faherty and Judge Gerald Keys. The original Chairman, who was the sole member until just before his retirement, was Judge Feargus Flood, giving rise to the original common name of the Flood Tribunal.[2]
Using investigations to collect evidence and public hearings with witnesses, it investigated allegations made in the media prior to its establishment and allegations subsequently made to the tribunal itself. The tribunal ran from November 1997 to March 2012 and was the longest running and most expensive public inquiry held in the Republic of Ireland,[3] with costs forecast to reach between €250 million and €300 million.[1] Public hearings concluded in September 2008, and following several delays due to legal challenges, the tribunal began preparing its final report.[4] It published four interim reports, and the final report was published on 22 March 2012.[5] On 2 April 2008 the then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had resigned due to continuing controversy over the payments.