Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 438: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has sought legal advice from outside legal advisers; and the fees paid to each such legal adviser in 2004 and 2005. [15769/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The information sought by the Deputy relating to my Department and its offices is set out in the tables.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 439: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the legal advisers or other qualified lawyers employed in a professional capacity by State bodies under the aegis of his Department. [15783/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The recruitment of staff, including legal advisers and other qualified legal personnel, by the State bodies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for the bodies concerned. While I retain responsibility for policy issues, I am not responsible for the day-to-day operational activities of these bodies, which are statutorily independent. However, I am informed by the bodies concerned that the table shows the position as regards the number of legal advisers and other qualified lawyers employed.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 440: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department has legal advisers of its own, naming the officers in question; and the reason effect has not been given to the recommendation in the report of the review into the law offices of the State, 1997, that legal advice should be given to the Government only by the Attorney General and his office. [15797/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The following is the position with regard to the number of legal advisers employed by the Department and the offices of the Department. It is not the practice of my Department to disclose the names of civil servants.

The legal adviser employed by the Department in the company law area was recruited following a recommendation made in the report of the working group on company law compliance and enforcement. The working group was established in 1998 to identify ways of improving compliance with, and enforcement of, company law from a legislative, organisational and resources perspective. The report recommended that a full-time principal solicitor be recruited exclusively to assist company investigations work and to provide legal advice on company law issues that arise daily.

On its establishment, three legal adviser posts were assigned to the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. As an enforcement body, ODCE requires internal legal advice for the director to implement the Companies Acts and to assist in the investigation and prosecution of criminal and civil cases. The legal adviser in the Companies Registration Office is subject on matters of legal opinion to the Attorney General and seeks decisions from his office as necessary.

The registrar of companies regularly has to make decisions requiring interpretations of law. There is extensive correspondence with legal firms on points of law. Both the registrar and the legal adviser are involved in extensive work with the company law review group. The benefit of the legal adviser position in the CRO is that advice is readily available on the issues that arise daily.

The Director of Consumer Affairs is an independent statutory officer and as such requires, on occasion, independent legal advice on a range of issues. The office has a consultancy contract with a legal adviser who supports the office on a part-time basis.

Section 13(1)(a) of the Industrial Relations Act 1946 provides that the Minister shall appoint to be registrar of the Labour Court a practicing barrister or practicing solicitor of not less than ten years' standing. The registrar holds office on such terms and receives such remuneration as the Minister for Finance determines.