65% of legal costs incurred by Goodman will be paid at once

MR Larry Goodman and Goodman International will be paid £4.99 million immediately by the State, or 65 per cent of the £7.69 total costs incurred by them during the beef tribunal.

The remaining £2.7 million will be withheld, pending a possible appeal by the State against a ruling approving the costs by the Taxing Master of the High Court, Mr James Flynn, last Tuesday. A date for an appeal hearing on the matter was set by Mr Flynn yesterday for January 30th next year.

The 65 per cent figure agreed yesterday, applies to the £6.75 million legal costs approved and the £940,000 allowed in other expenses.

Both sides had agreed on Tuesday that an interim payment would be made, and yesterday's hearing was to decide on the amount of that payment.

Appearing before the Taxing Master yesterday, Mr Arnold Lowe, legal cost accountant for A&L Goodbody, the solicitors firm representing Mr Goodman and Goodman International, said agreement had been reached between them and the State that 65 per cent of the total costs would be paid immediately.

The money is to go directly to Mr Goodman and Goodman International as, according to Mr Paul Behan, also legal cost accountant for A & L Goodbody, also, "clients have paid these legal costs many years ago". He was anxious that, in the event of an appeal, there be "a fairly rigid timetable to deal with this matter".

It was also agreed that objections, if they are to be made by the State, must be lodged by October 8th - an extension on the 14 day stay allowed by the Taxing Master last Tuesday, pending a possible appeal.

The case would be "for mention" on November 4th and December 2nd, with the hearing proper beginning on January 30th.

Mr Peter Fitzpatrick, legal cost accountant for the State, made it clear he was awaiting instruction on whether there would be any objection by the State to the costs approved by Mr Flynn on Tuesday.