Written answers

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Departmental Legal Services

Photo of Grace BolandGrace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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162. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the total spend by his Department on external legal services in each of the past three years; the main areas of legal activity for which external advice was sought; if he will provide a breakdown by case or category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40854/25]

Photo of Darragh O'BrienDarragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The total spend by my Department on external legal services in each of the past three years and the main areas of legal activity for which external advice was sought are detailed in the following tables.

Company/Organisation Name Description Total €
Arthur Cox Solicitor Legal Advice - Emergency Generation Advices 93,157
Arthur Cox Solicitor Legal Advice - relating to the security of Energy Supply 40,993
Arthur Cox Solicitor Legal advisory services to Offshore Renewable Energy policy 33,692
Byrne Wallace Shields Screening Assessments 2022 423
Chief State Solicitor's Office Legal advisory services to support Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme 200,061
Chief State Solicitor's Office Legal services and advices 60,027
Ciarán Doherty Barrister-at-Law Review of legislation around Climate Action Fund 969
Matheson * RESS Lot 2 - Planning & Delivery 33,409
Matheson * RESS Lot 3 - Communities & State Aid advice 11,539
Matheson Kinsale and Seven Heads - Decommissioning Advice 87,781
Matheson Legal advice - design of the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) 248,086
Matheson RESS Offshore advice RFT 181809 22,446
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Advice & Research in relation to the establishment of the Deposit Return Scheme 51,210
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Legal advices and services 87,798
McCann Fitzgerald LLP NDP advices 423,735
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Protected Disclosures Investigations 2022 25,138
Mr Ciarán Doherty, Barrister-at-Law Legal services and advices 14,852
National Treasury Management/State Claims Agency Foreshore - Marine Planning advices 626,250
Ruth A Fitzgerald SC Drafting Regulations to give effect to the Single Use Plastics Directive 12,515
Thomas John (Jack) Hazlett Advice on drafting of legislation 6,500
Thomas John (Jack) Hazlett Legal services and advices 4,200
Thompson Solicitors Legal advices and services 923
Total - 2022 €2,085,705
Company/Organisation Name Description Total €
Arthur Cox Solicitor Legal Advice - Emergency Generation Advices 3,534
Arthur Cox Solicitor Legal Advice - Planning and Environmental Regulatory Regime Advices 221,605
Arthur Cox Solicitor Legal advisory services to support DCEE in the development of Offshore Renewable Energy policy 32,621
Arthur Cox Solicitor Legal services on Maritime Area Consent rand Foreshore Licensing regimes. 46,501
Beauchamps LLP Legal advices and services 61,688
Byrne Wallace Shields Legal advice and services 2,605
Byrne Wallace Shields Protected Disclosures Investigations 2023 673
Byrne Wallace Shields Protected Disclosures Review 732
Byrne Wallace Shields Screening Assessments 2022 3,522
Byrne Wallace Shields Screening Assessments 2023 1,639
Chief State Solicitor's Office Legal advisory services to support Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme 108,524
Chief State Solicitor's Office Legal services and advices 111,177
Gwen Malone Stenography Services Ltd Stenography Fees 3,063
Matheson * RESS Lot 2 - Planning & Delivery 3,365
Matheson Kinsale and Seven Heads - Decommissioning Advice 16,784
Matheson Legal advice - design of the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) 16,847
Matheson Legal advisory services to support DCEE with the design and implementation of the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support 126,108
McCann Fitzgerald LLP * RESS Lot 1- Planning & Delivery 20,049
McCann Fitzgerald LLP * RESS Lot 2 - Planning & Delivery 24,925
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Advice & Research in relation to the establishment of the Deposit Return Scheme 14,022
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Drafting of Protected Disclosures Policy 2023 7,049
McCann Fitzgerald LLP NDP advices 33,867
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Protected Disclosures Investigations 2022 26,100
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Protected Disclosures Investigations 2023 29,645
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Specialist legal advice on Funding Agreement between DCEE and the European Investment Fund 70,984
MKO Legal advice in relation to the Celtic Interconnector 23,985
MKO Planning Consultancy Services for Electricity Security of Supply Programme 109,438
Mr Ciarán Doherty, Barrister-at-Law Legal services and advices 7,890
National Treasury Management/State Claims Agency Foreshore - Marine Planning advices 287,500
RSM Ireland Protected Disclosures Investigations 2022 1,033
RSM Ireland Protected Disclosures Investigations 2023 689
State Claims Agency Legal services and advices 495,000
Thomas John (Jack) Hazlett Air Quality - legal drafting 3,500
Total - 2023 €1,916,664
Company/Organisation Name Description Total €
Arthur Cox Solicitor Examination of options on Imperative Reasons of Overriding Public Interest (IROPI) process 28,844
Arthur Cox Solicitor Legal advice to support DCEE in ensuring security of energy supply. 73,800
Byrne Wallace Shields Legal advice and services 907
Byrne Wallace Shields Review of Protected Disclosures Policy 2023 6,909
Byrne Wallace Shields Screening Assessments 2023 410
Chief State Solicitor's Office Legal services and advices 118,484
Chief State Solicitor's Office Stenography Fees 2,121
Gwen Malone Stenography Services Ltd Stenography Fees 3,429
Matheson Kinsale and Seven Heads - Decommissioning Advice 57,272
Matheson Legal advisory services to support DCEE with the design and implementation of the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support 180,211
McCann Fitzgerald LLP * RESS Lot 1- Planning & Delivery 120,737
McCann Fitzgerald LLP * RESS Lot 2 - Planning & Delivery 32,027
McCann Fitzgerald LLP NDP advices 22,703
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Protected Disclosures Investigations 2023 16,525
McCann Fitzgerald LLP Protected Disclosures Investigations 2024 1,087
Mr Ciarán Doherty, Barrister-at-Law Legal services and advices 4,773
National Treasury Management/State Claims Agency Foreshore - Marine Planning advices 96,863
Office of the Revenue Commissioners Legal advice 104,548
Orpen Franks Solicitors LLP Legal fees arising from state engagement with Avoca Mines 7,703
Philip Lee External Legal Advisory services to support DCEE with the Small Scale Renewable Electricty Scheme 118,339
Philip Lee Legal advisory services to support establishment of subsequent future ORE DMAPs 389,632
RSM Ireland Protected Disclosures Investigations 2023 21,453
Thomas John (Jack) Hazlett Air Quality - legal drafting 4,400
Total – 2024 €1,413,177

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