Topics / Departmental Legal Services

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Departmental Legal Services

76 questions from 8 TDs, between 10 June 2025 and 28 July 2026.

76
questions
76 written, 0 oral
8
TDs have asked
5
parties and groups
Independents counted together
15
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
MonthQuestions
January 20250
February 20250
March 20250
April 20250
May 20250
June 20251
July 202570
August 20250
September 20250
October 20250
November 20250
December 20251
January 20262
February 20261
March 20260
April 20260
May 20260
June 20260
July 20261
August 20260
September 20260
October 20260

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.

  • Fianna Fáil2 from 2 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael70 from 2 TDs · 38 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity1 from 1 TD · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin2 from 2 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 69
  2. 1
  3. 1
  4. 1
  5. 1
  6. 1
  7. 1
  8. 1

The questions

Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Culture
1335. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport 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. [41553/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Culture
1336. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport 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. [41571/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Culture
1337. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport 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. [41589/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Culture
1338. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport 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. [41607/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Social
1750. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection 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 she will provide a breakdown by case or category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40842/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Social
1751. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection 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. [40857/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Social
1780. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection 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. [41511/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Social
1781. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection 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. [41529/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Social
1782. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection 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. [41547/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Social
1783. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection 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. [41565/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Social
1784. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection 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. [41583/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Social
1785. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection 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. [41601/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Social
1786. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection 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. [41619/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Agriculture
2152. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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. [40852/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Agriculture
2153. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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. [40872/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Agriculture
2177. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine 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. [41604/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Children
2262. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the total spend by her 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 she will provide a breakdown by case or category; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40853/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Health
2699. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health if her 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [41524/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Health
2700. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health 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 she will make a statement on the matter. [41542/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Health
2702. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Health the internal oversight that exists within her Department to monitor the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41578/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Further and Higher Education
3317. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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. [40837/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Further and Higher Education
3339. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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. [41523/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Further and Higher Education
3340. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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. [41541/25]
Grace Boland Written 29 Jul 2025 · to Further and Higher Education
3342. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 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. [41577/25]
Paul Murphy Written 10 Jul 2025 · to Social
264. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the details for the past three years and the current year funding allocated or paid out for Departmental employees for legal study programmes including EU law in the past three years, detailing the course title, the course provider, the course fees, grade of employee supported, whether course was in person or online and name of the scheme providing the …