A Dublin law firm was paid €15.1 million over four years for advising two State transport bodies, according to Government documents setting out huge spending on private consultancies.
Solicitors McCann FitzGerald received €8.29 million from the National Transport Authority (NTA) in 2020-2023 and €6.81 million from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) in the same period.
Fees varied each year, but the figures show McCann FitzGerald received some €3.27 million for NTA advice in 2023, an average of €62,993 per week. McCann FitzGerald had no comment on its work.
The figures were disclosed in files released under freedom-of-information laws.
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Dublin law firm received €15m for advising State transport bodies responsible for roads and rail infrastructure
As the Government advances the proposed €9.5 billion Dublin metro project and the €5 billion BusConnects plan, the records show big legal, accounting and engineering firms are earning millions of euro in relation to State transport.
The NTA, responsible for developing transport networks, spent €22.15 million on consultants in 2020-2023 and TII spent €11.45 million. TII runs national roads, Luas light rail services and metro planning.
Assessed with public Department of Transport data, the files show how some firms have carried out extensive consulting work for separate State institutions at the same time.
Accountants EY, formerly Ernst & Young, had received €5.57 million for public transport work since the start of the decade – €2.16 million from the NTA, €1.94 million from the department and €1.47 million from TII. EY had no comment.
Accountants KPMG had received €4.67 million since the start of the decade – €2.39 million from the NTA, €2 million from the department and some €262,000 from TII. KPMG had no comment.
Jacobs Engineering received €4.78 million from the NTA over four years. Building consultants Aecom Ireland received a total of €1.22 million from the NTA and TII. Infrastructure consultants Chandler KBS received €1.11 million from the NTA. Aecom had no comment. Jacobs Engineering and Chandler KBS did not reply to enquiries.
Accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and consultants Ove Arup received €1.67 million and €1.76 million respectively from the department. PwC and Arup had no comment.
In addition to McCann FitzGerald fees for miscellaneous legal advice, TII separately paid solicitors A&L Goodbody and Pinsent Mason €1.53 million for metro project legal services. A&L Goodbody had no comment.
Asked about such spending, TII’s spokesman said: “TII requires a variety of corporate legal services, which are publicly procured, to provide legal services across TII’s broad range of responsibilities and project delivery.”
He added: “They include the areas of, but are not limited to the following: public-private partnerships, litigation, planning law, environmental law, employment law, commercial and contract law, data protection, health and safety.”
An NTA spokesman said: “NTA expenditure on outside legal services includes an estimated €2.9 million relating to NTA plans to invest in bus prioritisation infrastructure in Dublin as part of the BusConnects programme.”
[ One Dublin law firm received €15m for advising State transport bodiesOpens in new window ]
He added: “Given the complexity and scale of the projects, legal expertise was required for applications for 12 core bus corridor schemes to An Bord Pleanála under section 51 of the Roads Act 1983 (as amended) and the confirmation of compulsory purchase orders associated with each of the scheme approval applications.”
The NTA also said legal fees included work on judicial reviews cases under a contract that followed a public tender process.
A spokeswoman for Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien cited previous department statements noting how it has responsibility for one of the Government’s largest capital expenditure budgets.
A freedom-of-information request to State rail company Iarnród Éireann yielded a list of consultants but not their fees.
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