Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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61. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the expenditure his Department incurred in respect of external legal fees in each of the years from 2016 to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14067/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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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. In procuring specialised legal services, my Department always seeks to ensure value for money and the keeping of expenditure to the minimum necessary.

The information requested is outlined in the following table.