Alan Kelly
Question:266. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Defence the amount her Department has spent on legal fees for each of the years 2020-2025, in tabular form. [5533/26]
View answerTuesday, 27 January 2026
Questions (266)
Written answers
There are different circumstances where legal fees are incurred by my Department. In terms of litigation, the Deputy will be aware that all claims for personal injuries taken by current and former members of the Defence Forces have been delegated to the State Claims Agency (SCA). The SCA manages and provides legal representation in relation to personal injury cases taken against the Minister for Defence. External legal costs incurred by the SCA arising from the defence of any claims managed by the Agency for my Department are refunded to the Agency by the Department.
Employment Law matters taken against the Minister for Defence are managed on my behalf by the Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO). The CSSO is responsible for the costs of the State's legal teams in the litigation cases that it manages on behalf of my Department.
The Defence Forces Tribunal of Inquiry (‘Tribunal’) was established by Statutory Instrument on 20 June 2024, to examine the effectiveness of the complaints processes in the Defence Forces concerning workplace issues relating to discrimination, bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual misconduct. The Tribunal also have the power to investigate the response to complaints made regarding the use of hazardous chemicals within Air Corps’ headquarters at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.
The table below sets out the total expenditure per year on Litigation, including settlements, legal costs, expert reports and legal advices.
It should also be noted that the information contained in the table below does not include costs relating to court-marital cases. While the Department does not engage these services directly, it funds the provision of legal aid in respect of court-martial cases.