Tribunal asks legal team to justify €1m bill

The chairman of the planning tribunal has asked a legal team to justify its €1 million bill before he decides whether to award its costs.

Judge Alan Mahon has requested further details from the legal representatives of Gerry Downes, who gave evidence for about two hours in July 1999.

Consideration of Mr Downes's application for costs was deferred yesterday until next week after the chairman asked his lawyers for "a general reason from you as to why so many days of attendance were appropriate".

Peter Leonard SC, for Mr Downes, had earlier explained that he was "not in a position at the moment" to make any submission in relation to his costs for any particular day.

While he had a list of all the days the legal team was present, he did not take a transcript for each day, and had not noted why someone was present.

Mr Downes, a former secretary of Joseph Murphy Structural Engineering, was represented by Mr Leonard, Peter O'Leary and solicitor Brian Rigney. His total bill is €983,730.

Five other parties applied for their costs yesterday.

Fianna Fáil, which is seeking €606,000, applied for costs, but did not make an oral submission.

Barrister Sean Guerin, for Fine Gael, told the chairman it had provided "valuable assistance" to the tribunal, and had co-operated at all stages. Every effort had been made to keep legal representation at the inquiry to a minimum.

Fine Gael has applied for €366,000.

Other applications were made by the Green Party (€125,000), accountant Joe O'Toole of McGrath & Co (€208,000), and former Fianna Fáil county councillor Jim Geraghty (no estimate received).

Judge Mahon will sit five days next week to process further applications from costs from the 170 witnesses who appeared before the tribunal in its early years. Many of these witnesses did not have legal representations, but have nevertheless applied for costs.

Substantive hearings of the tribunal are not likely to take place until the autumn.