Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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178. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons employed at the Legal Services Regulatory Authority by grade in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18549/22]

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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179. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the annual cost of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18550/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) is an independent body responsible for the regulation of the legal professions under the provisions of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015.

Since 2019, the Authority has been funded by way of an annual levy on the legal profession based on actual expenditure in the preceding year, in accordance with Part 7 of the Act. It has also been in receipt of advances from my Department of €1 million each year, in accordance with Section 32.

The total expenditure of the Authority for the years 2019-2021, based on the Authority’s financial statements, is outlined in the table below.

LSRA Expenditure by Year 2019 to 2021

The Deputy may wish to note that the increase in the Authority’s expenditure covers a period when the Authority, having been established in October 2016, was becoming fully operational and was increasing its capacity to undertake a range of statutory functions. Further details can be found in the Authority's Annual Reports, annual accounts, and other publications, which are publicly available on its website www.lsra.ie.

Additionally, under the terms of the 2015 Act, the Authority appoints its own staff with the approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. However, to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the LSRA has provided me with the information in the table below.

LSRA Staff Resources as at 05 April 2022