Eric J. Byrne
Question:133 Mr. E. Byrne asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform the current waiting period for free legal aid on a county by county basis. [2031/97]
Written Answers. - Free Legal Aid Scheme.
The information sought by the Deputy is not maintained by the Legal Aid Board in the form specified in his question. To provide it in that form would require the allocation of a disproportionate amount of the resources available to the board. The information maintained by the Legal Aid Board is on the basis of waiting times at each of its 28 full-time law centres, for persons seeking the services of the Legal Aid Board. This information is collated by the board on a regular basis.
I have set out in a tabular statement, which I propose to have circulated in the Official Report, the waiting times as at 31 December 1996 at each of the board's law centres. In three centres the waiting time was one month or less, in eight centres the time was between one and two months, in eight centres the time was between two and four months, in one centre the time was between four and six months, in six centres the time was between six and eight months and in the remaining two centres the time was 8.5 months. A reduction in waiting times in neighbouring law centres can be anticipated when the Legal Aid Board commences services to the public soon from two new law centres which are located in Tullamore and Newbridge.
Waiting times are continually reviewed by the board. Where waiting times, for whatever reasons, become excessive the position is examined by the board with a view to taking remedial action where possible.
Legal Aid Board — Law Centre Waiting List at 31 December 1996.
|
County |
Centre |
Period |
|
Cavan |
Cavan |
1.5 months |
|
Clare |
Ennis |
2 months |
|
Cork |
Popes Quay |
7 months |
|
South Mall |
6 months |
|
|
Donegal |
Letterkenny |
1.5 months |
|
Dublin |
Blanchardstown |
2 months |
|
Clondalkin |
2 months |
|
|
Finglas |
4 months |
|
|
Gardiner Street |
4 months |
|
|
Mouth Street |
8 months |
|
|
Ormond Quay |
2 months |
|
|
Tallaght |
1.5 months |
|
|
Galway |
Galway |
2.5 months |
|
Kerry |
Tralee |
8.5 months |
|
Kilkenny |
Kilkenny |
0.5 months |
|
Laois |
Portlaoise |
8 months |
|
Limerick |
Limerick |
2 months |
|
Longford |
Longford |
6.5 months |
|
Louth |
Dundalk |
3 months |
|
Mayo |
Castlebar |
0.5 months |
|
Meath |
Navan |
7.5 months |
|
Monaghan |
Monaghan |
3 months |
|
Sligo |
Sligo |
3.5 months |
|
Tipperary |
Nenagh |
3.5 months |
|
Waterford |
Waterford |
0 months |
|
Westmeath |
Athlone |
7 months |
|
Wexford |
Wexford |
3 months |
|
Wicklow |
Wicklow |
8.5 months |
Brian Lenihan
Question:134 Mr. Lenihan asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform if he will give a breakdown between men and women of the 3,918 persons who in 1995 received legal advice and representation in court in relation to family law matters; and the number of 4,060 persons who in 1995 were provided with legal aid, while in receipt of income greater than the financial eligibility of £7,350. [2057/97]
I wish to inform the Deputy that to provide information on the gender breakdown as sought in the question would require the allocation of a disproportionate amount of the resources available to the Legal Aid Board as the information is not available in this form. However, I can say that of the 1,293 persons who applied for legal aid certificates in connection with judicial separation proceedings processed in 1995, 980 (76 per cent) were women and 313 (24 per cent) were men.
With the exception of persons provided with legal aid for the purpose of seeking the return of children under the Hague and Luxembourg Conventions who are entitled to legal aid without undergoing a means test, all applications for legal services under the Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995 are required to satisfy a test of financial eligibility as set out in Part 5 of the Civil Legal Aid Regulations, 1996. Part 5 of the regulations deals with financial eligibility and contributions towards the cost of legal aid and advice. A similar requirement applied to applications for legal aid and advice under the non-statutory scheme of civil legal aid and advice, which operated immediately prior to 11 October 1996 when it was replaced by the statutory scheme.