Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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377. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the breakdown of the senior councils and barristers paid or retained for work on behalf of her Department; and the amounts paid to each for each the years 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [27318/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department seeks, where possible, to minimise legal fees and avails of the services of the Chief State Solicitor's Office, the Attorney General's Office and the State Claims Agency in terms of the provision of legal advice and representation of the Department in Court cases. However, occasionally it engages senior counsels and barristers for legal advice and services.

Legal costs incurred by the State’s legal team in defending cases are not met directly by the Department. In accordance with established financial procedures such costs are generally charged to the Chief State Solicitor's Office (CSSO) Vote as sanctioned by the Attorney General (AG).

The expenditure incurred by my Department in respect of senior counsels and barristers paid or retained for work on behalf of my department during the years in question is as follows:

* To date for 2022

The Deputy may wish to note that fees paid in a given year may relate to work carried out in different year.