Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 July 2017
87. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the circumstances in which he gave approval for the payment of substantially increased daily rates to barristers working on a case (details supplied); the representations that he received in this regard; the rationale for his decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32030/17]
View answerThe case, details supplied by the Deputy, involved allegations concerning substantial loans covering a period of approximately six years. The charges preferred involved (inter alia) breaches of the section 197 of the Companies Act 1990. My officials were advised by the DPP’s Office that the case was a difficult and complicated one involving a large number of offences covering an extended time frame coupled with voluminous documentation and involving novel points of law and was the first time section 197 had been prosecuted in the courts. In view of the difficulty and complexity of the case, as advised by the DPP, and the large volume of documentation, fees in excess of the standard Circuit Criminal Court prosecution fees were approved.
