Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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720. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has sought and received legal advice outside of the Office of the Attorney General; the number of times advice was sought per year from 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; the costs of outside legal advice per year from 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34978/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that on eight occasions in total in 2011 and 2012 my Department sought legal services outside the Office of the Attorney General. The table below outlines details of the costs incurred. There has been no expenditure on legal services by my Department to date in 2013.

My Department administers a very diverse and complex brief. Its remit includes oversight of very complex policy areas and direct procurement of major services where protection of the State’s interest must be paramount. This situation necessarily requires my Department to procure specialist external professional advice in legal areas to enable it to discharge its responsibility to deliver quality services and protect the interests of the State and the taxpayer.

In procuring specialised legal services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and the keeping of expenditure to the minimum necessary.