Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The Chief State Solicitor's office has recruited a large number of staff. The office complement is 249, which represents a large increase in the last number of years. The complexity and range of cases covered by the office has also risen dramatically. This aspect of the work of the office was analysed by the Departments of Finance and Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. On the first case, a number of the tribunals have their own legal team working to the tribunals, but the Office of the Chief State Solicitor is involved with the Barr tribunal. I know the workload in that area. On the issue of asylum, I am not familiar with the details, so I do not wish to comment on it, but the workload of the office has increased dramatically in the past ten to 12 years because of the very lenient procedure and the fact the appeals mechanism is used to the full, unlike the situation in other countries.

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