Vol. 471 No. 3
33 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the total number of persons on waiting lists to avail of free legal aid services; if he will give a gender breakdown in this respect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20696/96]
There are 44 law centres operated by the board, 27 full-time and 17 part-time, which provide legal aid and advice to applicants who meet the eligibility criteria contained in the Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995, and the regulations made under that Act. In 1995 a total of 7,306 persons were provided with legal advice and 4,060 provided with advice and aid by the board. On 30 September 1996, a total of 2,010 persons — an average of 77 persons per centre — were waiting for appointments with law centre solicitors. A breakdown of applicants by gender is not available at present because the Legal Aid Board does not maintain these records in a format that would facilitate the extrapolation of such information. The board, however, is looking at ways of improving its information base.
