Written answers
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
Legal Services
2:30 pm
Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 911: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs in each of the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 the arrangements entered into by his Department for the obtaining of advice from a firm of solicitors and or from senior or junior counsel; in each case the subject matter in respect of which advices were sought, the name of the solicitors firm and or barristers concerned and the fees paid; the nature of the work concerned, that is, whether it involved the drafting of legislation or the obtaining of legal advices; whether in each case the matter concerned was advertised for tender and where not, why not. [1617/11]
Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The table below sets out the details sought by the Deputy in relation to the three occasions where my Department directly obtained advice from a firm of solicitors, or from Senior or Junior Counsel, between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2010. In each case, the services of external solicitors and/or barristers were procured to provide essential legal advice, legal opinion or to carry out specialist legal work where the legal expertise required was not available in-house. Competitive tendering processes were not held in the cases in question on the basis that the solicitors/barristers had extensive, specialist knowledge of the particular relevant areas.
Name of Solicitors/Barristers | Amount paid & relevant year | Subject matter in respect of which legal advice was sought | Nature of work involved |
Alexander J Ownes | €21,6142007 | Land access for recreational use | To examine and make recommendations on legal issues around land access for recreational use |
Seán Ó Cearbhaill | €612008 | Gaeltacht Schemes | To witness and provide a legal signature to a document |
A & L Goodbody | €6,0942009 | Tender competition for the provision of the Aran Islands passenger ferry services | To undertake a review of the decision to award contracts |
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