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Wed 12 Dec 2002New inquiries may replace tribunalsAn outline scheme which would replace most tribunals of inquiry has been given the go-ahead by the Government. The new scheme will initially be directed towards an inquiry into the handling of allegations of clerical child sex abuse, but it is intended for general use in the future.Ten different inquiries, of various types, were in operation this year, and in recent years tribunals of inquiry have cost the taxpayer close to €60 million. There has been a growing demand for a way of answering the questions raised by tribunals in a more cost-effective way.