The chairman of the planning tribunal, Judge Alan Mahon, has ruled the State should pay the costs to 10 witnesses, including €3.5 million being sought by James Gogarty.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern will have his costs of €270,000 paid, as will financier Dermot Desmond, whose costs ran to €71,000.
RTÉ and the Independent Radio and Television Commission (now the BCI) are also to have their their costs paid (€490,000 and €134,000, respectively).
The largest bill under scrutiny was the €3.5 million sought by Mr 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 lawyers said their client had been under a "tremendous cloud" for four years as he battled to defend a series of allegations from his former employer, JMSE, and others.
Lawyers for Mr Ahern have defended the €269,000 bill submitted on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Minister, who gave evidence in May 1999 about his efforts to ascertain the veracity of Mr Gogarty's allegations. Mr Ahern co-operated fully and, ultimately, no adverse finding was made against him.
The Sunday Business Postand journalist Frank Connolly, whose reports had led to the setting up of the tribunal, were awarded costs estimated at €170,000.