Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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186. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a schedule of all external legal consultation that he engaged in, in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; the general nature of the engagement; if the external consultation resulted in a report and or recommendations; and the cost of each consultant and or company engaged. in tabular form. [7435/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Foreign Affairs is responsible for two Votes - Vote 27 (International Cooperation) and Vote 28 (Foreign Affairs). A table of external legal consultation engaged by my Department in Ireland during 2023, 2024 and 2025 to date is set out in the table below, along with any expenditure.

My Department engages external legal expertise in line with national and EU procurement rules when it is clear the skills are adding value to the wide range of skills already available in the Department.

External expertise has informed, and continues to inform, my Department's strategies and policies and the effective delivery of our services to our citizens in a transparent and accountable manner representing value for money.