Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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70. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount spent by the Office of Public Works on legal services in each of the past three years; the procurement process followed by the OPW for legal services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4758/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The following amount was spent by the Office of Public Works on Legal Services in 2011, 2012 and 2013:

Expenditure on Legal Services

The Office of Public Works uses the services of the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor (CSSO) for legal advice. All procurement of external counsel by the CSSO, on behalf of the OPW, is handled by that Office, upon the nomination of the Attorney General.

The costs associated with the provision of advice to the OPW by the Office of the Attorney General and the office of the Chief State Solicitor are borne by their respective Votes.

For areas which the CSSO does not have the necessary expertise, OPW entered into a service level agreement with the CSSO in 2005, which negotiates rates with a number of legal firms for the provision of legal advice.