178. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to detail the procurement processes used when engaging external legal firms and barristers, including whether panels are used; how often these are refreshed; the criteria used for selection and performance review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41534/25]
Topics / Departmental Legal Cases
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsDepartmental Legal Cases
287 questions from 34 TDs, between 5 February 2025 and 6 October 2026.
287
questions
286 written, 1 oral
34
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
18
departments asked
This is one of the catch-all headings the Oireachtas uses for how a department runs rather than what a question is about, so it is left out of the range and focus figures.
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 3 |
| March 2025 | 0 |
| April 2025 | 2 |
| May 2025 | 1 |
| June 2025 | 9 |
| July 2025 | 83 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 1 |
| October 2025 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 17 |
| December 2025 | 2 |
| January 2026 | 126 |
| February 2026 | 4 |
| March 2026 | 2 |
| April 2026 | 25 |
| May 2026 | 2 |
| June 2026 | 2 |
| July 2026 | 2 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 1 |
| October 2026 | 1 |
Who asks, by party
The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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200
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16
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15
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6
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5
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4
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3
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3
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
179. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41552/25]
181. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41588/25]
182. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment 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]
302. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment for an update in relation to Vermilion Energy Corrib Ireland Ltd v The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43993/25]
316. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the amount spent on legal fees associated with litigation, advice and settlements in each of the past three years by his Department and agencies under its aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40876/25]
327. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if all external legal fees incurred by his Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41500/25]
328. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department conducts regular benchmarking, or market testing, to ensure that the rates paid for legal services, solicitors and barristers, represent value for money for the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41518/25]
329. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to detail the procurement processes used when engaging external legal firms and barristers, including whether panels are used; how often these are refreshed; the criteria used for selection and performance review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41536/25]
330. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41554/25]
331. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the internal oversight that exists within his Department to monitor the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41572/25]
332. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41590/25]
417. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Transport if his Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41567/25]
617. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Finance the amount spent on legal fees associated with litigation, advice and settlements in each of the past three years by his Department and agencies under its aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40879/25]
632. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 583 of 29 April 2025, which specific case law he is referring to. [41086/25]
633. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 583 of 29 April 2025, which specific case law he is referring to. [41087/25]
653. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Finance if all external legal fees incurred by his Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41503/25]
656. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Finance if his Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41557/25]
658. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Finance if his Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41593/25]
659. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Finance 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. [41611/25]
666. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 583 of 29 April 2025, to specify the caselaw pre-dating the Karshan ruling upon which the taxation of sub-postmasters as self-employed was based, and to confirm that this basis cannot now be applied in light of the Karshan ruling. [41820/25]
667. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 583 of 29 April 2025, to specify the caselaw pre-dating the Karshan ruling upon which the taxation of sub-postmasters as self-employed was based; and to confirm that this basis cannot now be applied in light of the Karshan ruling. [41821/25]
786. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the amount spent on legal fees associated with litigation, advice and settlements in each of the past three years by his Department and agencies under its aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40885/25]
796. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if all external legal fees incurred by his Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41509/25]
802. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation 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. [41617/25]