Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health if his Department employs a full time legal advisor; if recent reports on spending on legal advice to his Department are accurate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5840/13]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Health if he or his Department have considered recruiting extra staff with legal expertise to decrease costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5841/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 856 and 857 together.

My Department currently employs three legal advisors. One is employed on a full time basis at Principal Officer equivalent and 1.4 WTEs are employed at Assistant Principal equivalent. My Department is aware of the need to minimise legal costs and, in general, avails of legal services and advice from the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor. The legal costs referred to by the Deputy (€1,027,669) is accurate and reflects the total additional fees paid for legal services over the five year period from 2008 to December 2012. These costs include engagement of legal drafting services in relation to a broad range of secondary legislation, mostly on complex statutory instruments required to implement EU directives. It also includes legal advice on inquiries and in respect of certain litigation that warranted specialist legal expertise.