The Government paid more than €240,000 to cover Pearse Doherty’s legal costs following his successful 2010 legal action which led to the holding of the Donegal South West byelection.
The byelection cost €244,000 to stage and the State spent a further €231,000 on postal costs.
The case brought by Mr Doherty sought to move the writ for the holding of Donegal South West byelection in 2010 because one of the constituency’s Dáil seats had remained unfilled for 17 months following Pat the Cope Gallagher’s election to the European Parliament in 2009.
After the High Court case the then Fianna Fáil-majority government moved to hold the byelection but the then taoiseach, Brian Cowen, said the government was appealing the decision to the Supreme Court to clarify a point of law.
The government later told the Supreme Court it was not proceeding with its appeal against the High Court finding of an “inordinate delay” by it in moving the writ for the byelection.
Both the Supreme Court and the High Court ordered that the State pay Mr Doherty’s legal costs. These were paid by the Department of the Taoiseach last April.
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show the department paid €175,125 to MacGeehin Toale Solicitors relating to the High Court case and €66,550 arising from the Supreme Court appeal.
Mr Doherty was elected as a TD in the Donegal South West byelection held on November 25th, 2010.
Other spending by the Department of the Taoiseach in the first six months of 2012 included €273,000 for expenses arising from the Moriarty tribunal.More than €250,000 of this related to legal fees paid to three individuals.
Tribunal solicitor Stuart Brady received €117,948 in legal fees; €107,550 was paid to Stephen McCullough; and Patrick Dillon-Malone received €32,712.
Documents detailing departmental spending on the tribunal in 2011 show that of the €1,274,204 spent by the department on the tribunal last year €1,122,041 was spent on legal fees to seven individuals.
The documents also reveal that the department spent €3,438,833 on the EU stability treaty referendum held in May.