John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

Legal expenses incurred by my Department in regard to the oversight of electoral law and policy relate primarily to operational matters arising at elections. No legal firms are retained by my Department directly. All cases are handled in the first instance by the Chief State Solicitor's office and no costs have arisen in 2010. The State Claims Agency deals with election injury cases and no costs in regard to such cases have arisen for my Department in 2010, to answer those questions directly.

As for the latter question, that is something that we will have to consider when it arises.

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