External solicitors cost €10m in two years

External solicitors have cost the taxpayer almost €10 million in the past two years — ironically in part to help recoup unpaid taxes.

Despite access to state solicitors in the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief State Solicitor, the Department of Revenue Commissioner employs six firms of external solicitors to act on their behalf in the courts.

According to a spokeswoman for the department, the vast majority of their work relates to “operational functions of debt management”.

“One of our primary goals is improving tax compliance and our fully integrated collection enforcement systems are very successful,” according to the spokes-woman.

“A total of €352.4m was collected as a result of collection enforcement work last year.”