The Department of Agriculture spent over €500,000 on external legal fees in four years, according to information seen by the Irish Farmers Journal.

Between 2009 and 2012, the Department spent a total of €571,296 on various legal fees from advice and consultations to court appearances.

In 2009, the Department spent €191,932, €144,863 in 2010, €229,607 in 2011 and just €4,894 in 2012.

The most notable fee was €185,855 paid to Galway-based firm MG Ryan solicitors in 2011 for ‘legal fees’ on work carried out.

The Department also spent over €31,000 and employed two legal companies over two years for what it called ‘professional fees regarding exchange of land at Rough Point’.

The majority of the fees in 2012 were as of a result of the Department’s district court case against Kildare company, Shannonside Foods.

‘Top five’

Other firms employed by the Department included Dublin legal firm Arthur Cox, which is regarded as one of the country’s ‘top five’ legal firms as well as Dowling Kilpatrick, who acted on behalf of the Department on four separate occasions between 2009 and 2012.