Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 February 2024
587. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount spent by his Department on legal costs or services in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [5386/24]
View answerThe below information has been provided by the Chief State Solicitors Office.
The table outlines from their records the number of legal cases taken against the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science since its establishment in 2020 and to date in 2024. The search criteria used is legal cases created in the case management system where the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science was linked to the file as a client and where the CSSO acted. In addition, also included are other cases where the Minister was named in the proceedings, but another Minister may have taken the lead in the case. As the CSSO have not carried out a review of the content of each file, it may be that proceedings were not ultimately issued/pursued against the Minister in every case.
Summary Table:
|
Number of Legal Cases taken against DFHERIS |
|
|
Date |
Number |
|
2020 |
39 |
|
2021 |
10 |
|
2022 |
4 |
|
2023 |
4 |
|
2024 |
0 |
|
Grand Total |
57 |
Of these cases, there is one entry that is considered Legal Services, which I have included below:
|
Legal services engaged by the Department |
Date |
|
Drafting of S.I. No. 413/2022 - European Union (Regulated Professions Proportionality Assessment) Regulations 2022 |
2022 |
The Chief State Solicitor's Office, as Government solicitor, absorbs the costs of representing the Department.
