Ms Mellissa English:

The overall idea for those two claims by employees is one did not make it through their probationary period and brought judicial review proceedings. The second claim was a little bit more complicated. It was a lawyer working within OPLA where there was an alleged conflict of interest. Disciplinary proceedings were brought in respect of the individual, who then injuncted those disciplinary proceedings. That was a case that ran over the course of last year and was conducted entirely as Gaeilge and was in the courts. The payment in respect of 2024 in that was €219,000.

The other column relates to seven claims by members of the public, which is how we classify them. One of those claims was in respect of the Irish language case, the Ó Murchú case, which Ms Gunn is going to deal with now - a legacy issue, and just getting discrete advice at the end of the period for the translation of Acts. Some €38,000 of that was in respect of paying our counsel for Kerins, for the Supreme Court. Another case that was paid out in that is the Bríd Smith case. That was the challenge concerning money messages and the petroleum Bill. Some €49,000 of that was in respect of litigation fees for our counsel.

There was another claim by an individual who was an unsuccessful candidate for the captain of the guard position. There was a payment out of just over €100,000 in respect of legal fees. There was a very small amount paid out by an individual who brought a claim alleging that he should have been given a position on the banking inquiry. There is the enforcement notice proceedings, which are live proceedings at the moment. That is where the Data Protection Commissioner has issued enforcement proceedings against seven or eight Oireachtas defendants and-or officeholders. There is a payment out of that in respect of our counsel fees and in respect of a mediation process that we underwent. There is a very small amount, less than €100, in respect of an individual who has issued proceedings relating to an alleged breach of their GDPR rights.