Sligo County Council has passed a motion calling on the Government to take responsibility for the legal costs of the owners of Lissadell House, which the council is due to pay.
The Supreme Court ruled last year that Sligo County Council must pay 75% of the legal costs incurred by the owners of Lissadell, as well as the council's own legal bill, arising out of the long-running battle over rights of way through the estate.
The final bill has still to be submitted, but Fianna Fáil Councillor Tom MacSharry, who proposed today's motion, said it is estimated it will be between €6m and €8m.
He argued the Government should pay the bill given that approximately 61% of every €1m of it will go straight to Revenue and the national Exchequer in VAT, income tax, PRSI and USC.
Fine Gael Councillor Hubert Keaney said that this was a childish argument which will be thrown out and "make us look like idiots".
However, following amendments which removed the tax argument from the motion, and also a reference to the Department of the Environment taking responsibility for the costs, councillors agreed unanimously to let the motion pass without a vote.
