This article is from page 13 of the 2009-10-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
CLARE County Council paid out more than €1.39 million in legal fees alone last year, with the bill reaching almost €574,000 so far this year.
The largest earner from the coun- cil’s legal costs during the last two years has been Michael P Houlihan Solicitors, receiving €404,291 or 70 per cent of the council’s legal fees so VMOU (or
The figures were revealed at last night’s meeting of the council when Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind) asked for an account of all legal fees paid out by the local authority last year, and
up until the end of September this year.
Of the €1,391,892 paid out from the council coffers last year, 687,138 was paid to Michael P Houlihan Solici- tors, €345,896 to A & L Goodbody Solicitors and €94,525 to Patrick G Quinn.
When asked by members of the council who was the county solicitor and why the payment was Michael P Houlihan Solicitors, Acting Head of Finance Noleen Fitzgerald said that John Shaw was the county solicitor, but he was supported by the staff of Houlihan’s.
Cllr Martin Conway (FG) proposed
that the council consider employing its own “in house”’ solicitor for legal work and minor disputes. He said that even if the council was to go outside this solicitor for specialised expertise, he believed the cost to the council would be significantly less.
“Unfortunately we are signed up for seven years contract and we are tied up until then,” he said.
The biggest legal cost to the coun- cil so far this year was in relation to roads which has reached €175,223 with water services reaching €148,845. Housing, including house and land purchases reached €81,165 up to the end of September.
Last year almost half the legal budget – £610,254, went on roads, including capital schemes and the Ennis Bypass.
Traveller Accommodation account- ed for €279,252 of the legal bills, while €166,079 was paid out in legal fees for water services including in- vestment programme, and €155,756 in planning legal fees.
The legal cost associated with the county’s fire service has multiplied by almost 10 this year.
Last year €1,454 was paid in legal fees associated with the fire services, while €10,206 has been paid out so far this year.