Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 May 2013
114. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht his views on whether sufficient progress is being made in reducing the State's legal bill in his Department and any State agencies under his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25162/13]
View answerMy Department is very aware of the need to minimise legal costs and, in general, avails of legal advices from the Attorney General's Office and the Chief State Solicitor's Office.
With regard to bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group, the Deputy will appreciate that a decision to seek legal advices in any particular instance is part of the day-to-day operational responsibilities of the bodies in question. All bodies funded from this Department’s group are working to achieve savings across all areas of their operations, including legal services. For example, the National Library of Ireland and National Museum of Ireland are developing a joint tender for specialist legal services in their areas with a view to achieving savings in both Institutions.
