The State is facing a legal bill estimated at more than £100,000 arising from a successful challenge by hackney drivers to Government proposals for the allocation of new taxi licences to existing taxi-licence holders in Dublin and Dundalk, Co Louth.
The Minister for the Environment and Local Government and the Minister of State at his Department were ordered by the High Court yesterday to pay nine-tenths of the legal costs of the four hackney drivers who won their challenge to the proposals.
Mr Justice Murphy also ruled that Dundalk Urban District Council, which was also sued over taxi regulations in the town, should pay the remaining one-tenth. The State parties and Dundalk UDC will also have to pay their own costs.
Dublin Corporation and the National Taxi Drivers Union will have to pay their own costs only. The judge decided that neither of those parties should have to contribute towards the hackney men's costs.