THE Taxing Master of the High Court yesterday resumed hearing submissions on Mr Larry Goodman's costs at the beef tribunal. Mr Goodman's costs, along with the costs of most of those legally represented at the tribunal, had. been awarded by its chairman Mr Justice Liam Hamilton.
The Taxing Master adjudicates on the justification for the detailed costs.
The hearing had been adjourned on November 20th last pending a High Court decision on a ruling by the Taxing Master Mr James Flynn, that costs be limited to witnesses who gave oral evidence. On February 10th last the High Court upheld his decision.
When it resumed yesterday before Master Flynn, Mr Paul Behan, a legal costs accountant for Mr Goodman, applied that the State provide details of its expenditure on witnesses, PR consultants and economic and other advisers during the tribunal.
"This may have a significant beating on your function in deciding the payments of the expenses of my client," he said.
Mr Peter Fitzpatrick SC, for the Chief State Solicitor, said he thought there would be no problem about the expenses for consultants and advisers. However, it would be difficult to give a detailed breakdown of the expenses of all the witnesses, as they were given cheques for the totals they had spent. The expenses for the consultants would be made available today.
Mr Arnold Lowe, also a legal costs accountant representing Mr Goodman and his group, said he would deal with solicitors' costs and related items Mr Behan would deal with counsel's fees.
He said the knowledge required by the solicitors working for Mr Goodman and his companies, from the firm of A&L Goodbody, was extraordinary.
They had to master a vast array of subjects which they would not normally come across. There were as many as 30 people working on this case.
The documentation on the expenses ran to 3,200 pages. The vast majority of the allegations investigated by the tribunal involved Mr Goodman and his companies. The chairman of the tribunal found no evidence to support the majority of them.
Even with the Whiddy Tribunal, the Kerry Babies and the Stardust, it was clear what was being inquired into. Here you never knew from one day to the next what would be alleged", he said.
The hearing continues today.