About

Serving a crucial function in the structure of the Irish state, the Department of Finance (DoF) is responsible for the administration of public finances in the Republic of Ireland, most notably the collection and expenditure of the revenues of the state. Interacting closely and regularly with senior management and the Department’s Secretary General, head of legal unit Antoine MacDonncha and his team of five lawyers are also supported by the Office of the Attorney General, the central office providing legal services and advice to all Irish Government Departments. A bedrock of the institution, the DoF legal team are involved in the preparation of all legislation proposed by the Department and providing advice to them wherever legal issues arise. The economic crisis of 2008 had enormous impact on the financial services market in Ireland, and the DoF created an in-house legal team to take a central role in the aftermath. The team have continued to work under this pressure since its inception. Giving some context and scale to these demands, the Department were heavily involved in transactions relating to the shareholding in various financial institutions acquired by the State. Previously DoF relied solely upon the Office of the Attorney General to provide legal advice, but the sudden influx of diverse, complex and critical legal work meant that the Department needed its own dedicated in-house team. MacDonncha explains how this restructuring produced ‘better outcomes, which have accrued from an integration of legal expertise into the Department and a reduction in the need for external legal expenditure’. Such outcomes worked on by the newly-shaped legal team included the establishment of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), providing a foundation of legislation and dealing with relevant litigation during Ireland’s worst financial crisis for decades.