THE HEALTH Service Executive is drawing up a panel of barristers to represent it in a variety of legal areas, according to a spokeswoman.
Responding in a statement to questions from The Irish Times, the spokeswoman said it was in the process of seeking expressions of interest from members of the Bar of upwards of four years standing, to act for it in cases involving childcare, environmental health, constitutional, administrative, employment and mental health law.
Asked if the formation of the panel had been advertised, the statement said the process had been “advertised appropriately” by way of letters to all members of the Bar Council of Ireland.
“Counsel who are interested in acting for the HSE can complete a standard application form which requires them to set out, inter alia, their experience, qualifications, areas of expertise etc,” it said. “The HSE’s office of legal services will determine which counsel are approved to the panel based their experience and acceptance of a defined schedule of counsel fees.”
The office was set up last year, with barrister Eunice O’Raw appointed at assistant national director grade to run it. Three solicitors also work in this office. Ms O’Raw was also appointed to the board of RTÉ last year.
Last year it emerged the HSE had spent €2.4 million in three years on counsel fees relating to childcare cases in Dublin and the surrounding area. A response to a Freedom of Information request from The Irish Times last July revealed this sum included €302,323 spent on senior counsel in the District Court over the three years. It revealed that six barristers shared more than 70 per cent of the expenditure in this area.