Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 927: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has sought legal advice from outside legal advisers; and the fees paid to each such legal adviser in 2004 and 2005. [15775/06]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 928: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the legal advisers or other qualified lawyers employed in a professional capacity by State bodies under the aegis of her Department. [15789/06]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 929: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her 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. [15803/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 927 to 929, inclusive, together.

My Department has an internal legal services section, the functions of which are to ensure policymaking is informed and takes account of relevant legal and constitutional requirements; to advise the Minister and the Department on legal issues; to ensure the effective management of litigation in which the Department is named; and to ensure the Government's legislative programme as it relates to education is implemented. The section works closely with the other law offices of the State to ensure consistency and quality of the legal services provided.

My Department's legal services team includes two qualified lawyers — Dalton Tattan, an assistant principal officer and a barrister-at-law, and Emily Ennis who is a barrister-at-law and is employed in her professional capacity. The section provides much of the day-to-day legal services required by my Department. However, some legal work is outsourced. The details of payments for the years 2004 and 2005 are listed. The bulk of these relate to legal advice and assistance provided to the Department in responding to the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, including responding to directions by the commission to discover documents. These payments are as follows:

With regard to relevant State bodies, the Residential Institutions Redress Board employs a senior counsel and a solicitor on a full-time basis. It also engages the services, on a part-time basis, of two senior counsel and one junior counsel. The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse does not employ any lawyers directly. However, it engages the services of seven junior counsel, four of whom are documentary junior counsel who undertake the duties of senior counsel. In the time available it has not been possible to verify the position with regard to vocational education committees and education support centres. This information will be sent to the Deputy once it is to hand.