I am advised that there has been one payment in legal fees by my Department to date in 2002, as follows, €1,332 paid to Eugene F. Collins, Solicitors.
I refer the Deputy to my previous reply of 30 January 2002 regarding legal fees paid in my Department in 1999, 2000 and 2001. The Deputy will wish to note two adjustments to the figures provided for 2001.
(i) My previous reply had included the amount of €12,697 inclusive of settlement to Hegarty and Hogan Solicitors. It has since been confirmed that the Department did not pay any legal costs or expenses in this case and was only a settlement.
(ii) It has also been brought to my attention that a payment, in November 2001, to C.M.S. Cameron McKenna, for €29,041.46, was omitted from the previous figures provided. This payment was in respect of work carried out on behalf of the National Museum of Ireland for the recovery of two Waterford cannons.