The country's 129 judges were paid 2,062,325 in expenses in 2006, an average of 16,000 each. Circuit Court judges were the biggest claimants, receiving an average of nearly 25,000 each, compared to Supreme Court justices who were paid just 1,516 each.

Over 1.4m was paid in subsistence, covering accommodation and meals.

District court judges received an average of 6,734 for travel expenses, while High Court judges spent the most on their appearance, claiming over 750 each for wigs and gowns.

The figures were released by the Courts Service under the Freedom of Information Act but the service did not issue a breakdown of how much each individual judge claimed.

Seventeen new judges were appointed by the government last week. Among those appointed to the High Court were senior counsel George Birmingham and solicitor Garret Sheehan.

The country's 33 Circuit Court judges claimed 811,646 in total expenses, which is an average of 24,595 per judge. Of the total figure, 233,395 was spent on travel, working out at an average of 7,072 for each judge. Circuit Court judges claimed 577,962 in subsistence. This figure represents 17,514 per judge based on the average figure. Each judge also spent an average of 311 each on wigs and gowns last year.

Ireland's 55 district court judges were paid a total of 1,101,396 in expenses in 2006. This is an average of 20,025 for each judge; 13,000 per judge was claimed in subsistence payments. Some 370,380 of the total figure was spent on travel, an average of 6,734 for each judge. Circuit Court judges spent the lowest amount on judicial attire, buying an average of just 290 worth of wigs and gowns.

There are 33 judges sitting in the High Court and between them, they claimed just 137,152, nearly six times lower than their counterparts in the Circuit Court.

Each Circuit Court judge claimed just 311 each for expenses incurred while travelling and 3,093 for subsistence.

However, High Court judges seem to get through more attire than their counterparts in other courts, spending an average of over 750 on wigs and gowns.

The state's eight Supreme Court justices are bottom of the league when it comes to judicial expenses. Just 12,130 was paid out to them last year, or an average of 1,516 each. The decision makers in the country's highest court claimed just 126 each in travel expenses and 1,179 in subsistence payments.

Some 1,684 in receipts were sent to the Courts Service to cover the cost of wigs and gowns for last year. This figure works out at 210 per judge.

Correspondence from the Courts Service explaining the expenses said:

"Judges are not provided with cars, therefore the travelling expenses claimed by judges cover the use of their own private car, the depreciation of the car, fuel, insurance and tax. Judges' travel and subsistence is determined by the number of court sittings and the number of judges assigned, both of which have increased in recent years.

"Additionally, Circuit and district court judges can spend a considerable amount of time travelling to different court venues away from their home location over the course of a legal term.

"Almost all travel and subsistence expenses paid to judges and expenses necessarily incurred by them in travelling to court venues amounted to 97% of the total amount claimed. The remainder is made up of expenses paid for attendance at conference, judicial attire and miscellaneous."