Almost €1m in legal fees paid to ex-judge’s lawyers

Almost €1m in legal fees has been paid by the taxpayer to the legal team of former judge, Brian Curtin, to cover the cost of a Dáil inquiry into his fitness to be a judge.

The cost of €977,794 in fees to Pierce & Fitzgibbon, solicitors acting for Judge Curtin, is contained in the 2012 annual report of Houses of the Oireachtas Commission published yesterday.

The former Circuit Court judge faced impeachment proceedings after charges of child pornography possession were dropped.

Mr Curtin retired on grounds of ill-health before he could be called as a witness at the inquiry.

The Oireachtas inquiry never held public hearings or got to quiz Mr Curtin, and was bogged down in legal challenges for the best part of two years.

The Houses of the Oireachtas report also revealed spending was down 9% in 2012, falling to €105.5m, from €115.6m.

It also shows there were:

* 123 Dáil sittings (1,001 sitting hours).

* 110 Seanad sittings (698 sitting hours).

* 572 committee meetings (1,032 sitting hours).

* 18 committee reports.

* 119 bills published as initiated.

* 54 acts passed.

* 4,450 amendments tabled to bills.

* 53 bill reprints as a result of amendment or passage by both Houses.

* 56,027 parliamentary questions processed.