I'm now trying

Dim sql, dbcomm As Object
        Dim Billing As Double

        Dim MyConnection As System.Data.Odbc.OdbcConnection

        MyConnection = New System.Data.Odbc.OdbcConnection("DSN=2501;UID=dd;PWD=dantheman")
        MyConnection.ConnectionTimeout = 0

        MyConnection.Open()

        Dim cmd As OdbcCommand
        cmd = MyConnection.CreateCommand()

        sql = "SELECT ""DEPARTMENT-CODE"", "

        sql += " Sum( "
        sql += " CASE "
        sql += " WHEN YEAR = '2011' THEN ""CURR-VALUE"" "
        sql += " END) AS CurrentValue "

        sql += " FROM PUB.TRTRANS LEFT JOIN PUB.FEETR ON PUB.TRTRANS.""FEE-EARNER"" = PUB.FEETR.""FEE-EARNER"" LEFT JOIN PUB.DEPARTMENT ON PUB.FEETR.DEPARTMENT = PUB.DEPARTMENT.""DEPARTMENT-CODE"" "

        sql += " WHERE ( (""ACT-CODE"" = 'BILL' OR ""ACT-CODE"" = 'CN') AND UNDONE = 0 AND ""CURR-VALUE"" > 0 )"

        sql += " GROUP BY ""DEPARTMENT-CODE"" "
        sql += " HAVING ""DEPARTMENT-CODE""  = '" + fee_earner.SelectedValue + "' "

        cmd.CommandText = sql
        cmd.CommandTimeout = 80000000

        dbcomm = New System.Data.Odbc.OdbcDataAdapter(sql, MyConnection)

        Dim dt As DataTable = New DataTable()
        dbcomm.Fill(dt)

        MyConnection.Close()

Still not there yet though!