Correspondence received by Deputy Tóibín shows that the CSSO closed 11,829 files in 2025, compared to 5,023 files in 2024 and 5,480 files in 2023. At the same time, the Office recorded gross expenditure of €54.8 million in 2025, including almost €18.5 million in counsel fees.
Deputy Tóibín said “The most striking figure contained in the response from the Chief State Solicitor’s Office is the number of files closed during 2025. The Office closed 11,829 files in a single year, more than double the number closed in 2024.”
“That is an extraordinary increase and it naturally raises questions as to what changed within the organisation. Such a dramatic shift does not happen without a reason.”
“The figures show that while the CSSO opened 5,009 new files during 2025, it closed more than 11,800 files, significantly reducing the number of files in progress. The correspondence provides no explanation for the sharp increase in closures.”
“The response does not explain why file closures increased so dramatically. Was there a backlog reduction exercise? Was there a review of long-running files? Were administrative practices changed? Was there a new management strategy? The correspondence is silent on what lay behind such a significant development.”
The Chief State Solicitor’s Office also confirmed that more than 20,000 files remain in progress, with 20,654 files active at the end of 2025 and 23,354 files active as of June 2026.
Deputy Tóibín said the figures are particularly noteworthy given the scale of expenditure involved.
“The CSSO spent almost €55 million last year, including approximately €18.5 million on counsel fees alone. Given the scale of the Office’s work and expenditure, it is important to understand the operational changes that resulted in such a dramatic increase in file closures.”
“The correspondence also revealed that the CSSO cannot readily provide information on the average duration of cases, the longest active case, the longest concluded case, the average cost per case or the median cost per case. It further confirmed that no formal analysis has been undertaken on the relationship between prolonged litigation and legal costs. “
“The responses raise broader questions about the information available to monitor trends within the State’s legal system. The Office manages tens of thousands of files and spends tens of millions of euro annually, yet important information regarding case duration, case costs and the impact of lengthy litigation is not readily available.”
“However, the single most notable issue arising from these figures remains the dramatic increase in file closures during 2025. Understanding what drove that change may provide important insights into how legal files are managed across Government and why such a substantial reduction was achieved in one year,” concluded the Deputy
