A High Court judge was told yesterday that costs allowed by the Taxing Master to former Workers' Party TDs Mr Tomas Mac Giolla and Mr Pat Rabbitte regarding their lawyers' legal bill at the beef tribunal could not be validly compared to those paid by the State, since it traditionally obtained a "discount rate" from the Bar.
Mr Paul Sreenan SC, for both politicians, was addressing Mr Justice Herbert during the second day of a hearing into an application by the State to reduce fees awarded by Taxing Master James Flynn to Messrs D. White and Co, of Parnell Square West, Dublin.
The company represented the politicians on 129 of the 226 days on which the tribunal sat. It was awarded a total of £550,5000 in instruction fees.
Mr Jack Fitzgerald SC, for the State, has argued that the overall sum allowed to Messrs White was so excessive as to be an error.
Yesterday, Mr Sreenan said the State had gone nowhere near disproving that the limited level of representation allowed to both politicians by the tribunal chairman did not permit the level of fees allowed.
The hearing continues.