Vol. 358 No. 13
asked the Minister for Justice the number of grades of staff in the office headquarters of the Legal Aid Board; the total cost of that office; the proportion of the total cost of the legal aid service devoted to headquarters; and if he is satisfied with the proportion of the funds of the legal aid board that are devoted to headquarters administration.
663.
asked the Minister for Justice the total sum by way of wages and salaries paid to solicitors employed in Government law centres in each of the years since the law centres came into operation; and the total number of solicitors employed in each year in each law centre.
664.
asked the Minister for Justice the total cost to the State of administering the State law scheme through law centres including salaries, wages and administrative costs but excluding salaries paid to solicitors employed at the law centres and excluding barristers fees; and the total number of administration and secretarial staff currently working in law centres or involved in the administration of the civil legal aid scheme.
665.
asked the Minister for Justice the total sums paid by the State in respect of fees to barristers in providing legal assistance to clients of Government law centres in each of the years since the law centres came into operation.
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 662 to 665, inclusive, together.
The information sought in respect of the scheme of civil legal aid and advice is as follows:
1. Number and grades of staff in Legal Aid Board Headquarters on 21 May 1985
|
No. |
Grade |
|
1 |
Principal Officer with allowance |
|
1 |
Principal Officer |
|
1 |
Assistant Principal Officer |
|
2 |
Higher Executive Officers |
|
3 |
Executive Officers |
|
1 |
Staff Officer |
|
4 |
Clerical Officers |
|
4 |
Clerical Assistants (Clericals) |
|
4 |
Clerical Assistants (Typists) |
2. Total cost of Boards Headquarters in 1984
|
£ |
|
|
Salaries, Wages, etc. |
248,670 |
|
Rent, Rates, Postage, Telephones, Heat, Light |
62,340 |
|
Other (Maintenance, Stationery, Photocopying etc. etc.) |
67,300 |
|
387,310 |
% of 1984 Grant in Aid (£1,372,000) 28.2%.
3. Number of Solicitors employed in each law centre
|
No. as at |
No. as at |
No. as at |
No. as at |
No. as at |
|
|
Law Centre |
1/1/1981 |
1/1/1982 |
1/1/1983 |
1/1/1984 |
1/1/1985 |
|
Aston Place |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
|
Gardiner Street |
3 |
7 |
5 |
5 |
4* |
|
Ormond Quay |
— |
— |
8 |
8 |
8 |
|
Limerick |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
Sligo |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Cork |
3 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
|
Galway |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
17 |
22 |
30 |
27 |
28 |
*Additional solicitor, on secondment from Department of Agriculture, appointed to Gardiner Street Law Centre since 24 January 1985.
4. Total salaries paid to law centre solicitors
|
Year |
£ |
|
1980 |
63,960 |
|
1981 |
235,715 |
|
1982 |
335,005 |
|
1983 |
379,740 |
|
1984 |
383,010 |
5. Costs of providing essential support services in law centres in 1984.
The cost of essential support services in law centres, consisting of clerical staff in these centres, rent, heating, lighting, postage, miscellaneous office expenses, practising certificates, travelling and subsistence expenses of solicitors, but excluding salaries of solicitors and barristers fees was approximately £550,000 in 1984.
6. Total number of administrative and clerical staff.
|
Headquarters |
21 |
|
Law Centres |
29 |
7. Total fees paid to counsel
|
£ |
|
|
1980 |
785 |
|
1981 |
18,620 |
|
1982 |
68,300 |
|
1983 |
56,670 |
|
1984 |
45,970 |
The requirements of the scheme of civil legal aid and advice made it necessary for a developed administrative structure to be put in place from the outset in order to have a system for dealing with the assessment of applications, eligibility, accounts etc. The cost of administration as a proportion of the overall cost of the scheme depends largely on the state of development of services under the scheme. As the number of law centres and legal staff remain relatively small, expenditure on administration relative to total expenditure will be relatively high, but I am satisfied that the service could now expand considerably without any corresponding increase in administrative costs. The expansion which the board have been authorised to implement in 1985 by establishing four new law centres will be achieved without any central administrative costs.
On the general question of the proportions spent under various heads, it will, of course, be appreciated that the distinction made in Question No. 664, if it is intended to imply that only solicitors' salaries and barristers' fees are "directly" related to the delivery of legal aid services, is not one that would commend universal support. Travelling and subsistence expenses of a solicitor, as well as the essential support services needed to enable that solicitor to provide legal advice — office rent, stationery etc. are inescapable costs of the service.
