I propose to take Questions Nos. 455 to 457, inclusive, together.
My Department allocates recurrent funding to the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for direct disbursement to the HEA institutions. The HEA allocates this grant to institutions for free fees and core grant funding and other specific earmarked initiatives As the Deputy will be aware, higher education institutions such as DIT are autonomous institutions and my Department does not have any function in their day to day operational affairs, including issues of a legal nature, for which the Governing Bodies and the management staff of the institutions are responsible.
The HEA has obtained the attached information from the institution concerned which shows legal expenses from 2003 to 2012. I should point out that as institutions also generate income from other sources outside of the Exchequer such legal expenses cannot be attributed in whole to the Exchequer. The split between Exchequer and own income is circa. 80% and 20% respectively.
In addition to the expenditure reported by DIT my Department incurred costs amounting to €82,710.50 in respect of a statutory enquiry on behalf of the Minister, carried out during 2006 and 2007 into alleged misconduct of a member of staff of DIT. The breakdown of this expenditure by year is €28,876.73 in 2006, €52155.90 in 2007 and €1686.87 in 2008.
Dublin Institute of Technology – legal fee costs 2003 to 2012
External Legal Fees
-
|
Human Resources
|
Other Issues
|
Total
|
2003
|
90,113.79
|
77,184.80
|
€167,299
|
2004
|
112,422.06
|
250,407.10
|
€362,829
|
2005
|
189,842.11
|
192,066.33
|
€381,908
|
2006
|
146,072.12
|
91,532.02
|
€237,604
|
2007
|
271,346.93
|
174,100.80
|
€445,448
|
2008
|
38,685.54
|
706,204.31
|
€744,890
|
2009
|
234,134.01
|
416,240.62
|
€650,375
|
2010
|
88,477.11
|
293,946.03
|
€382,423
|
2011
|
131,309.74
|
208,443.36
|
€339,753
|
2012
|
133,617.36
|
257,127.62
|
€390,745
|