Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount the free legal aid provided to a person (details supplied) cost the tax payer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52012/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I take it the Deputy is referring to payments in respect of legal representation of the person under the legal aid schemes.

The Deputy will appreciate that eligibility for legal aid in criminal trials, judicial review and proceeds of crime cases is determined by the trial judge. The person referred to by the Deputy has been the subject of a number of court proceedings over the past decade including criminal charges and proceedings to freeze assets brought under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996. In view of the number of cases and lengthy period of time involved, the information sought by the Deputy could only be compiled by diverting staff resources from other important work specifically to carry out a manual analysis of the relevant records which could not be justified.