THE Cabinet will consider today whether to appeal against the High Court award of £6.7 million in legal costs to Mr Larry Goodman over the beef tribunal.
Conflicting signals were last night emerging as to whether the Government would appeal, but senior sources predicted the Coalition leaders would opt to seek a reduction in the Taxing Master's ruling.
While Ministers meet for the last time today before their summer holidays, it is understood that no formal paper will he put to Cabinet on Mr Goodman's legal costs. Legal advice to the Government will be provided from an independent source since the Attorney General, Mr Dermot Gleeson, represented Mr Goodman.
According to sources, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, is likely to favour pursuing an appeal and other Ministers are expected to adopt a similar view.
The former leader of the Progressive Democrats, Mr Des O'Malley, urged the Government to appeal the decision, particularly in relation to expenses awarded for public relations work done on behalf of Mr Goodman.
The Minister of State for Commerce, Science and Technology Mr Pat Rabbitte, said some RTE reports of yesterday's appeal decision on fees to lawyers representing him and former TD Mr" Tomas Mac Giolla were "seriously misleading". The impression was incorrectly given that the award of £934,000 was to him and Mr Mac Giolla personally.
Mr Willie O'Dea, Fianna Fail spokesman on law reform, said that the payment of huge sums to barristers and the legal advisers of Ministers "bordered on the obscene".