A Stormont department's spending in a failed legal battle with a whistleblowing vet has reached around 277,000 with further costs still to be counted.

Dr Tamara Bronckaers was awarded a 1.25million payout in a high-profile employment case against the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (Daera).

An industrial tribunal last year found the senior vet, who had raised concerns about animal welfare and meat traceability, had been constructively dismissed from her job.

Read more:'I wouldn’t call it a victory' says vet paid 1.25m after unfair dismissal over animal welfare and traceability concerns

The department dropped an appeal against the decision last month and Dr Bronckaers received an unreserved apology.

Her lawyers had described the payout as the largest of its kind ever awarded in Northern Ireland.

However, legal costs are still being racked up by the department in the aftermath of the case.

Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots detailed the spending by his department in response to an Assembly question from SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone.

The DUP minister said: "The total legal expenditure on the industrial tribunal case between my department and Dr Tamara Bronckaers has not been finalised at this stage as there are outstanding invoices and legal work continues on the case as it has not been discharged.

"The latest estimate of costs to the end of April 2022 is approximately 277,000. This covers the industrial tribunal and the Court of Appeal case.

"In addition,...

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