Peadar Tóibín
Ceist:158. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the amount in legal fees incurred by his Department in 2020 and in each of the years 2000 to 2020. [23578/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 5 May 2021
Ceisteanna (158)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. Its remit includes oversight of very complex policy areas and direct procurement of major services where protection of the State’s interest must be paramount. This situation necessarily requires my Department to procure specialist external professional advice in legal areas to enable it to discharge its responsibility to deliver quality services and protect the interests of the State and the taxpayer. In procuring specialised legal services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and the keeping of expenditure to the minimum necessary.
My Department has been reconfigured on several occasions since 2000. The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available and its compilation would involve a disproportionate amount of time to compile.
For details of costs for the period covering 2016 – July 2020 I would direct the Deputy to Question 61 of 7 July 2020.
The amount spent on legal fees by my Department from July to year end 2020 was €438,173.