€5.34m Revenue fees to six law firms
The payout accounts for 72% of the overall €7.34m Revenue paid out last year in legal fees to firms and barristers.
The figures are revealed in a written Dáil response by Finance Minister Michael Noonan who confirmed that the overall spend on legal fees by his department, the National Asset Management Agency (Nama), the Revenue, the Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau and the Central Bank last year totalled €18.35m.
Mr Noonan confirmed that Revenue was the highest spending agency on legal fees with Nama paying out €5.4m.
In response to the Dáil question by Denis Naughten, Mr Noonan stated his own department last year spent €2.4m, the Central Bank €2.6m, and the Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau 615,000.
Arthur Cox, McCann Fitzgerald, Eugene F Collins and Matheson were the big winners with Arthur Cox receiving over €2.1m in fees for work for the Department of Finance, the Central Bank, the Revenue and Nama.
The minister stated that €986,323 of the €1.72m Arthur Cox received from his department in fees is recouped from banks.
McCann Fitzgerald received fees between €1.5m to €2m from the Central Bank and €180,000 from Nama. Matheson received €1.85m in fees from the Department of Finance, Revenue and Nama.
Ivor Fitzpatrick solicitors received €1.09m from Revenue; Pierse Fitzgibbon received €929,781; Mason Hayes & Curran €894,982; Holmes O’Malley Sexton €888,107, and Matheson €824,739.
Revenue also made payments to 67 barristers with three receiving over €100,000: Gráinne Clohessy €184,413; Ciaran Ramsey €136,591 with Kelley Smith €126,193.
The figures for Nama show that the top-earning firm was Eugene F Collins who received €1.888m. McCarter & English was paid €1m and Allen & Overy €446,000.
Mr Naughten said “there are a small handful of legal firms doing very well across the board and I don’t think that is the best way for the Government to be doing business.”
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