Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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182. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government whether any legal engagements have exceeded their initial estimated or approved cost in the past three years; if so, the number of such cases and total overrun; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41606/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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Litigation is dealt with on behalf of my Department by the Attorney General’s Office, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office or the State Claims Agency who engage lawyers to act for my Department where necessary. The costs of any external solicitors or counsel in such litigation are not managed by my Department.

Where appropriate and warranted, my Department may engage the services of external legal advisors. Individual sections in my Department are responsible for ensuring that any services are delivered in accordance with all the terms of the contract, including scope, duration and cost. To assist sections in monitoring their contracts, details of contracts are maintained in a central register and circulated quarterly by the Department’s Procurement Unit to sections for cross checking.

Over the past three years, only two legal engagements exceeded their initial cost. The total overrun amounted to some €19,620.