Legislative Programme.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004

Wednesday, 29 September 2004

Ceisteanna (249)

John Gormley

Ceist:

428 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of Bills that have been drafted outside the Office of the Attorney General by solicitors since the general election of 2002; the cost to date of the outsourcing of the drafting of legislation; if legislation has had to be corrected subsequently in many cases; the Bills which are currently being drafted by firms of solicitors; the legislation he intends to outsource this term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21827/04]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

It is not generally the practice within my Department to use outside assistance to prepare the heads of legislation. Since 2000, the Department has engaged an outside person to prepare legislation in only one instance. That related to the drafting of a set of regulations to give effect to an EU Directive. The person chosen was drawn from a panel of barristers approved by the Office of the Attorney General and was paid a fee of €5,700. Those regulations have not been amended or revoked. There are no pieces of primary or secondary education legislation being prepared or proposed to be prepared otherwise than by my officials and the Office of the Attorney General.

Question No. 429 answered with QuestionNo. 358.