Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 5 Oct 1995

Vol. 456 No. 5

Written Answers. - Free Legal Aid.

Seamus Brennan

Question:

69 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the total cost of free legal aid in the last financial year; the amount in the first year of its operation; the budgeted figure for the current year; the number of free legal aid centres currently in operation; the number in the first year of free legal aid; the number of centres proposed or required to provide a comprehensive service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14260/95]

Minister for Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Taylor)

Information requested by the Deputy is contained in the following table:

Year	1980 (first year of operation)	1995
Law centres
(full time)	7	25 (to date)
Law centres
(part time)	Nil	18
Grant-in-aid	£.0499m.	£6.2m.

In 1994 the grant-in-aid to the Legal Aid Board was £4.972 million. Over the past two years the Legal Aid Board has been engaged in consultation with my Department, in a process of expansion and development of the board's services. The extra resources which have been made available to the board as part of that process have led to an increase in the number of full time law centres from 16 to 25. There are plans in place to have 5 more full time centres opened. The question of further development and expansion of the board will be kept under review taking into account such matters as waiting lists, the optimum use of existing resources and the Exchequer position.