James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it concerns us all. The legal fees issue is being addressed with steps taken including the negotiation of reduced fees and stricter controls on accessing legal advice. Sometimes one has to question the necessity of the use of a legal team in certain matters. It is often a case of if you are lawyered up, then I have to be lawyered up too, a scenario that is being addressed.

I will do my best to get the breakdown of the amounts of moneys spent on legal fees. There will have to be a breakdown in previous Health Service Executive bills that relate to child care issues. The Deputy knows my view that moneys spent on medical-legal compensation should be going to victims, not to the legal profession with no disrespect to it. That issue is being actively addressed by Mr. Gordon Jeyes and is one of the top items on his agenda.

A commissioning strategy is being developed for the issuing of grants to ensure the most effective use of available resources. Much work has to be done to bring about measurable evidence-based outcomes. While we can have a sense that these services are delivering in a great way, some elements may not be achieving the outcomes we want and others could be promoted more if we had measured outcomes. Much work will be done with these services, particularly youth services.

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