Ms Beverley Cooper-Flynn's appeal against the dismissal of her libel action against RTE and retired farmer Mr James Howard is not expected to be heard by the Supreme Court until next year.
Ms Cooper-Flynn yesterday lodged a full appeal against the High Court decision in March that she was not libelled in a series of RTE reports in 1998. The appeal is understood to centre on a claim that the trial judge allowed defence lawyers greater latitude than he should have done.
The appeal covers a wide range of legal points and may necessitate a three-day Supreme Court hearing. While there is some hope that it could be scheduled before the end of the year, legal sources expect it will not be.
The Taoiseach said yesterday that he wished Ms Cooper-Flynn well in her appeal. The TD was expelled from the Fianna Fail parliamentary party last month because of the jury's finding that she had encouraged or advised people to evade tax. Mr Ahern chose to take this course even before her appeal.
The jury in the longest-running libel trial in the history of the State found that RTE had not proved that she had encouraged Mr Howard to evade tax, as had been alleged in a series of RTE reports, but found she had encouraged or advised other people. It awarded no damages to Ms Cooper-Flynn, finding that her reputation had not suffered through the broadcasts.