Written answers
Tuesday, 1 December 2015
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
Departmental Legal Cases Data
Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Renua Ireland)
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382. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of legal cases currently ongoing against his Department including State agencies under his aegis; the number of cases that took place during the years 2011 to 2014, inclusive; the cost of those that were contested and what damages were involved; the costs and damages of those that were settled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43261/15]
James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I can inform the Deputy that there are ten legal cases currently ongoing against my Department. These do not include personal injury cases which are dealt with by the State Claims Agency. In addition, there is also one case before the Court of Justice of the European Union in respect of an Article 267 reference from the Irish Supreme Court.
The most significant legal proceedings against my Department since it was established in June 2011 concerned matters relating to the referendum on children's rights. All of those cases are complete. None involved damages. There were two cases in 2012 which involved total costs of €222,523.43 paid to the plaintiff. Two cases took place during 2013 and one in 2014 which was the consolidated Supreme Court Appeals in the Jordan case. No costs have been paid to date in respect of the 2013 or 2014 cases.
In the time available, my Department has not been in a position to compile the rest of the information sought by the Deputy and I will write to him separately with the relevant information at the earliest opportunity.
I will also ask each of the agencies under my remit, namely the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency and the Ombudsman for Children's Office, to write to the Deputy directly with the information sought.
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