Tribunal parties to seek legal costs

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, financier Dermot Desmond and 14 parties will argue at a special sitting of the planning tribunal on Monday for the State to pay their legal costs.

Lawyers for the 16 parties are expected to argue they should be paid full costs, amounting to millions of euro, because the tribunal made no adverse findings against their clients in its reports.

The largest legal bill under scrutiny on Monday will be that of James Gogarty, the octogenarian whistleblower whose allegations about bribes to former minister Ray Burke were vindicated in the reports written by former tribunal chairman Mr Justice Feargus Flood.

Mr Gogarty's team is seeking about €3.5 million in costs for their three-year involvement with the tribunal.

The journalist who broke the story of Mr Gogarty's allegations, Frank Connolly, and his former employer, Post Publications, are seeking €170,000.

Mr Ahern, who gave evidence about his inconclusive efforts to establish the veracity of Mr Gogarty's allegation in 1997, is seeking €269,346 in legal costs. He gave evidence for one day in May 1999.

Mr Desmond is seeking €71,359.27 in respect of his involvement with the Century module of the tribunal's investigations. RTÉ has put in a bill for €490,494.07 arising out of its involvement in the same module.

Other parties making submissions on costs include: Anglo-Irish Bank (€28,259.60), the Independent Radio and Television Commission (€133,717) and Paul Kierans/AMEV (€19,075.50).

Legal costs for hundreds of other witnessess will be determined at later hearings.