Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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40. To ask the Taoiseach the reason for the fees to counsel in the budget of the Office of the Chief State Solicitor; and the breakdown of the fees to counsel in tabular form. [59299/21]

Micheál Martin (Taoiseach, Department of An Taoiseach; Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Chief State Solicitor's Office (CSSO) provides litigation, advisory and conveyancing services to Government Departments and Offices and to certain other State agencies. The CSSO also provides solicitor services at Tribunals and Commissions of Inquiry and represents Ireland at the Court of Justice of the European Union. The majority of legal cases the CSSO handles are cases taken against the State. The State must defend itself in almost all cases taken against it. The number and complexity of cases requires specialist advocacy services offered by counsel. The Attorney General decides whether counsel should be engaged and the actual counsel to be assigned to a case.

I am advised that a full breakdown of counsel paid by name cannot be given for data protection reasons. The table below provides a breakdown of expenditure in 2019, 2020 and to end-November 2021 as between junior and senior counsel.

2019