Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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645. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of legal cases brought against her Department in each of the past five years and to date in 2021; and if he will provide details on the nature of these cases. [37816/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Details of legal cases brought against my Department since its establishment in July 2017 are set out below:

- In 2021 the Human Resources unit of my Department was notified of a summons to the High Court. This pertains to an ongoing matter relating to an employee.

- The Attorney General’s Office is currently acting on behalf of the Department being respondents in a Judicial Review case brought by applicants, Liam Ó Dubhgáin trading as WJ Duggan. The Judicial review relates to the tender process involved in awarding a contract for the provision of a rapid passenger service (Bád gasta) to serve Toraigh Island in County Donegal. The applicant contests the manner and decisions taken by the Department in the assessment of tenders submitted. The case came for mention in the High Court on the 20 May 2019 and due to numerous requests for more time to prepare responses to affidavits submitted by both parties is still in progress. Because of the Judicial review award of the contract was halted pending the Court’s decision. The next Court session is due for hearing later this month.