Lucinda Creighton (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 395: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism the annual expenditure on external legal costs by his Department in each of the past five years; the annual expenditure on external legal costs by each of the agencies under his aegis in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17834/09]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In general, whenever the Department requires legal services, it obtains these from the Office of the Attorney General and/or the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. The associated costs are borne directly by those two Offices. However, on occasion and in exceptional circumstances, the Department, including the National Archives, may obtain legal services from other sources. In each of the past five calendar years, the costs associated with such other legal services are as set out in tabular form below.

The expenditure in 2008 relates to legal costs associated with the specialist separate Public Private Partnerships processes on the redevelopment of the National Concert Hall and the new Abbey Theatre. The PPP process on the NCH is very advanced and should conclude inside 12 months. The PPP process for the Abbey, entailing a discrete International Design Competition, is also advancing. Contracts for legal advice in these cases are fixed fee contracts and were procured competitively. In the case of the agencies under the aegis of the Department, the securing of external legal services and the associated costs are a matter for the agencies themselves.