A US lawyer who was involved in legal action that eventually led to settlements of more than $200 billion by tobacco corporations in the US, may join similar court moves in Ireland.
Mr Steve Berman tonight said he believed the Government could secure as much as £18 billion in health care recovery costs from tobacco firms.
Mr Berman has teamed up with a Dublin firm of solicitors and is to meet the Minister for Health Mr Martin for talks on the question.
The lawyer's intervention followed the opening of a separate continuing move in the High Court earlier today, seeking an order to have the medical records preserved of plaintiffs taking action against a number of companies, including Benson & Hedges, Gallager's, John Player, and P J Carroll.
Mr Dermot Gleeson SC, counsel for Benson & Hedges, said proceedings on behalf of Co Westmeath housewife Ms Marie Callery had been initiated in December 1998, but his clients still did not know the disease she was suffering from.
He said the tobacco companies were prepared to undertake and finance the collecting of the records, which would be shared with the plaintiffs' legal advisors.
Mr Peter McDonnell, solicitor for the Ms Callery, said in an affidavit that all necessary steps had been taken to preserve records and documents, and claimed the legal move by the tobacco companies amounted to a "back door method of attempting to obtain the discovery of documents at a premature stage in the proceedings.
Mr Berman said he thought many of the strategies used in the US could be adopted in Ireland for cases against tobacco manufacturers.
Mr Hugh Ward, of the firm of solicitors linking up with Mr Berman, said: "This would be the largest case this country has seen. We are prepared for a long battle here."