Written answers

Tuesday, 25 April 2006

Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs

Legal Services

9:00 pm

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 547: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if his Department has sought legal advice from outside legal advisers; and the fees paid to each such legal adviser in 2004 and 2005. [15772/06]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 548: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the legal advisers or other qualified lawyers employed in a professional capacity by State bodies under the aegis of his Department. [15786/06]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 549: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs 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. [15800/06]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 547 to 549, inclusive, together.

My Department does not have any legal advisers of its own. Our normal practice is to seek legal advice from the Attorney General and his office. However, my Department paid €35,000 in 2004 to the Law Reform Commission for specialist legal research, public consultation and recommendations concerning charitable trust law reform. Payments of €4,905.48 in 2004 and €15,636.67 in 2005 were made to Philip Lee Solicitors for legal advice on various research contracts related to the National Advisory Committee on Drugs.

Of the State bodies under the aegis of my Department, Údarás na Gaeltachta employs one in-house legal adviser on a full-time basis. A further legal adviser is employed by Údarás na Gaeltachta on a contract basis, to end December 2006, in response to increased work demands in recent years, arising principally from the organisation's active disposal of and re-investment in assets programme. The position of the secretary to the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests for Ireland must be filled by either a solicitor or barrister and the present holder is a qualified solicitor.

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