asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the total fees paid or due to counsel for the year ended 31st March 1965 in respect of the conducting in court of prosecutions under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts in (a) Dublin city and county and (b) the remainder of the State; and why, particularly in Dublin city, such prosecutions were not handled by one of the solicitors assigned to the Department or by a State solicitor.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Prosecutions under Wireless Telegraphy Acts.
66.
The total for (a) was £437 17s. 0d. and for (b) £15 15s. 0d.
During the period in question prosecutions under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts numbered about 5,500 in Dublin city and county, and about 2,000 in the remainder of the State. The local State solicitors were, in general, able to deal with the number of prosecutions in their areas without assistance from counsel. Due to pressure of other Post Office legal work the Department's solicitors were not able to handle the large number of court cases in the Dublin area, and assistance could not be obtained from the Chief State Solicitor's Office because of pressure of work in that office.