Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 June 2005
448 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the total cost, number and nature of legal services sought by his Department from 1998 to 2004 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22420/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraLegal advice and related support services for my Department are supplied by the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor as appropriate. From 1998 until August 2003, my Department employed a legal adviser, the gross salary for this post for the years 1998 to 2003, inclusive, was:
|
Financial Year |
Gross Salary (EUR) |
|
1997-98 |
43,175.36 |
|
1998-99 |
45,314.22 |
|
1999-2000 |
50,864.55 |
|
2000-01 to April |
53,034.19 |
|
2001 April to December |
34,931.26 |
|
2002 |
52,474.85 |
|
2003 |
32,003.86 |
The post was vacated in August 2003 when the serving officer elected to take a career break. The post has not been filled. Over the period, my Department has also incurred expenditure in seeking legal and technical advice in relation to the development of occupational and personal pensions, particularly in the context of the Pensions (Amendment) Act 2002 and related regulations. Details of this are set out in the following table.
|
Person/Organisation |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2004 |
2005 |
|
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
€ |
|
|
LK Shields Solicitors |
— |
9,219 |
77,980 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Matheson Ormsby Prentice |
86,039 |
27,644 |
35,987 |
143,762 |
1,452 |
— |
|
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors |
27,874 |
— |
70,233 |
53,541 |
— |
— |
|
Ms Margaret O’Driscoll Barrister |
— |
7,620 |
853 |
— |
— |
|
|
Ms Mary Finlay SC |
— |
— |
— |
1,573 |
— |
— |
|
Steptoe & Johnson |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
4,500 |
Note: No expenditure was incurred in 1998 or 2003.
