I wish to advise the Deputy that on eight occasions in total in 2011 and 2012 my Department sought legal services outside the Office of the Attorney General. The following table outlines details of the costs incurred. There has been no expenditure on legal services by my Department to date in 2013.
My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. Its remit includes oversight of very complex policy areas and direct procurement of major services where protection of the State’s interest must be paramount. This situation necessarily requires my Department to procure specialist external professional advice in legal areas to enable it to discharge its responsibility to deliver quality services and protect the interests of the State and the taxpayer.
In procuring specialised legal services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and the keeping of expenditure to the minimum necessary.
Year
|
Cost
|
2011
|
€335,335.74
|
2012
|
€102,222.88
|