The Mid-Western Health Board's legal bill has increased by almost 700 per cent in the last five years, it emerged in figures released yesterday.
In a report to go before the May meeting of the health board today, members will be told that the board last year spent €2.24 million on legal costs.
The figure is almost seven times what the health board spent on legal costs in 1998, when it spent €0.327 million.
Also, last year's spend on legal costs represented almost a doubling of the legal costs incurred by the health board in 2001 when it spent €1.225 million.
The continuing rise in legal costs is being blamed on costs associated with the childcare sector.
In 2002, legal costs associated with childcare accounted for 55 per cent of the health board's costs, when it spent €1.24 million in the area.
The report stated that the issues in the sector that have contributed to rising costs are requirements under the Childcare Act, High Court activity including detention orders and judicial reviews, along with applications to the High Court in relation to the Adoption Act.
The health board's director of finance, Mr Paddy McDonald, also stated that the board had incurred heavy costs over recent years through the provision of services for children with disabilities.
