Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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383. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the total legal costs incurred by his Department in 2011, 2012, 2013 and estimated in 2014. [17352/14]

Pat Rabbitte (Minister, Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources; Dublin South West, Labour)
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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. There have been eight occasions in total in 2011 and 2012 where my Department sought legal services, which arose because of the need for specialist legal expertise or because of legal challenges. There was no expenditure on legal fees by my Department in 2013. Total legal costs incurred to date in 2014 amounted to €9,225 and it is estimated that a further €12,000 will be paid on legal costs this year based on an out of Court settlement in 2013. The table below details the costs incurred.

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