Departments paid €7.6m to legal and consultancy firms

Legal and consultancy firms were the big winners in the €7.6m paid out last year by the Government’s two finance departments.

The Department of Public Expenditure last year paid out €4.3m to consultants, while the Department of Finance paid €3.3m to consultants during the 12 month period.

In figures provided to Independent TD Tom Fleming, Finance Minister Michael Noonan confirmed €739,854 was paid out by his department to Matheson for legal advice relating to the acquisition and sale of Irish Life.