Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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484. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of WTE solicitors employed by her Department in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [45188/24]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Education's Legal Services Unit is staffed by three legal advisers (both solicitors and barristers) seconded from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) and the Chief State Solicitor's Office (CSSO). Two advisers were in place at year end 2023, with the vacancy filled in February 2024. The unit currently has two advisers in position with a vacancy since the end of September 2024.

Further to this, the Department of Education benefits from the expert legal support of the AGO, the CSSO, and the State Claims Agency, in line with their statutory functions.