Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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107. To ask the Minister for Finance the fees paid by banks in which he holds shares to solicitors and barristers with regard to mortgage arrears cases, by legal professional; the fees paid to them in each year since 2011, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41420/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the banks in which the State is a shareholder are independent commercial entities, I as Minister do not have a role in their strategic or operational management. The information requested by the Deputy is therefore not held in my Department.

I have asked the relevant institutions to respond to the Deputy's request.

AIB:

"For commercial confidentiality reasons AIB does not publicly disclose the details of contracts with individual external service providers. The bank manages legal fees within its commercial business requirements and operating costs".

Bank of Ireland:

"The Bank of Ireland Group makes detailed disclosures to the market in relation to operating expenses in Annual and Interim Reports, the most recent being the Interim Report for the first six months of 2017 published on July 28 last. However, the information requested is not a component of these disclosures."

PTSB:

"Permanent TSB has a requirement for legal support and advice on an on-going basis across different parts of its business. It manages some of this requirement through its in-house legal function, as well as engaging external solicitors and barristers where necessary. Except where required by law or regulation, and in line with how it manages its relationships with its other third-party advisors, the bank does not disclose the identity of such firms or individuals engaged to work with the bank on specific issues or the terms of such work as this information is deemed commercially sensitive."