Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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External legal services can be required by the Department of Foreign Affairs - at headquarters and at any of our 100 overseas Missions - for a variety of reasons, principally for advice on employment contracts and other human resources issues that can arise and for advice on rental contracts and other property-related legal issues.

The amount spent by the Department of Foreign Affairs on legal costs/ legal services in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2024, is provided below in tabular form.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table that follows. On office space, the Office of Public Works provides furnished office accommodation for the Department within the state. Outside of the State, my Department is responsible for the cost of leasing office premises for our diplomatic and consular offices. The cost of furniture for these premises also falls to the Department. The amounts set out below in relation to furniture include the cost of furniture for HQ, as well as for official residential accommodation and office space overseas.