In general, my Department uses the services of the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor, and engages outside legal advisors in circumstances requiring legal advice of a specific and/or specialist nature. My Department has also had secondments to it from private sector legal firms.
The table below shows the amount spent by my Department in 2003, and from 1 January to 30 September 2004, on legal advice and lawyers, including secondments, and on settlement of legal proceedings including cases settled prior to going to court. It also shows the number of claims received and the number of settlements made.
|
2003
|
1 January to 30 September 2004
|
|
€
|
€
|
Legal Advice
|
240,880
|
188,565
|
Settlements
|
322,865
|
7,500
|
Number of claims received
|
0
|
0
|
Number of settlements
|
54
|
1
|
Officials in my Department negotiated a settlement, arrived at late in 2003, of a large number of equality claims against all Departments lodged by the Civil and Public Services Union which involved a total cost of approximately €36 million. My Department's element of that settlement is included in the figures above for settlements in 2003. The greatest amount paid in fees was €54,450 to McCann Fitzgerald/Raymond Burke Consulting in 2003 and €90,000 to DarachConolly, Solicitors in 2004. The second greatest amounts paid were €49,728 to P. J. O'Driscoll, Solicitors in 2003 and €79,631 to A & L Goodbody, Solicitors in 2004. No claims against my Department were received for the most recent twelve month period, that is from 1 October 2003 to 30 September 2004.