Six legal firms shared €5.34 million (including VAT) in fees from the Revenue Commissioners last year .

The payout to the firms by Revenue accounts for 72 per cent of the overall €7.34 million Revenue paid out last year in legal fees.

The figures were revealed in a written Dáil response by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, who confirmed that the overall spend on legal fees by his department, the National Asset Management Agency (Nama), the Revenue, the Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau and the Central Bank last year totalled €18.35 million.

Mr Noonan said Revenue was the highest spending agency on legal fees, with Nama paying €5.4 million in legal fees.

In response to the Dáil question by Denis Naughten, Mr Noonan said his department last year spent €2.4 million, with the Central Bank spending €2.6 million.

The Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau spent €615,000.

The figures show that legal firms Arthur Cox, McCann Fitzgerald, Eugene F Collins and Matheson were the big winners, with Arthur Cox receiving over €2.1 million in fees for work for the Department of Finance, the Central Bank, the Revenue and Nama.

The Minister said €986,323 of the €1.72 million Arthur Cox received from his department in fees was recouped from banks.

McCann Fitzgerald received fees between €1.5 million to €2 million from the Central Bank in addition to the €180,000 from Nama.

Matheson received €1.85 million from the Department of Finance, Revenue and Nama.

Solicitors
Ivor Fitzpatrick solicitors received €1.09 million from Revenue; Pierse Fitzgibbon received €929,781; Mason Hayes & Curran received €894,982; Holmes O'Malley Sexton received €888,107, and Lavelle Coleman received €717,487. Revenue also made payments to 67 barristers with three receiving over €100,000.