Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 504: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide an estimate of the cost of legal services which his Department paid for in 2007 and to date in 2008; and if he has satisfied himself that effective measures are in place to minimise this cost. [39311/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The cost of legal services incurred by my Department was €775,970 in 2007 and costs of €1,111,326 have been incurred to date in 2008. In addition the Department paid costs of some €7.654 million in 2007 and €6.855 million in 2008 on behalf of the Planning Tribunal.

The extent to which my Department has recourse to, and incurs expenditure on, legal services is kept to the minimum necessary. Expenditure incurred by the Planning Tribunal includes third party costs awarded at the discretion of the Tribunal itself in accordance with its terms of reference.