As a general rule, the legal advice obtained by my Department is given by the Offices of the Attorney General and of the Chief State Solicitor. My Department is not charged for the service and costs are borne directly by the offices.
The National Library of Ireland is a cultural institution attached to my Department. It incurred the following fees in respect of specialist legal advice obtained over the past three years:
2001,
€2,892;
2002,
€7,278;
2003,
€1,093. Since my Department was established in June 2002 there has been only one payment following legal proceedings initiated against the Department. The case was settled prior to going to court and the settlement was €4,350.
Last December my Department paid 33 eligible officers €5,000 each after a successful equality claim by the Civil and Public Service Union for clerical assistant and paperkeeper posts. My Department has since been reimbursed by the Department of Finance.