Written Answers. - Legal Aid Service.
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:
152
Ms O'Sullivan
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the number of new posts created at solicitor and administrative levels in law centres since June 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6333/99]
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:
153
Ms O'Sullivan
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
if he will provide details of new law centres for which approval was granted after June 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6334/99]
Jan O'Sullivan
Question:
154
Ms O'Sullivan
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the number of counties with no full-time law centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6335/99]
Jack Wall
Question:
157
Mr. Wall
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a 19 month waiting list for free legal aid office in Newbridge, County Kildare; the action, if any, he intends to take to rectify the problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[6396/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 152, 153, 154 and 157 together.
The Legal Aid Board currently operates 30 full-time law centres around the country with seven in Dublin, two in Cork and one in each of the remaining counties apart from countries Carlow, Roscommon and Leitrim. The board also operates 14 part-time law centres, including part-time law centres located in Carlow town, Boyle, County Roscommon and Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim. New full-time law centres were last opened in January 1997 at Tullamore, County Offaly and Newbridge, County Kildare.
When the Newbridge law centre opened it had a complement of one solicitor. In July 1998 I sanctioned a second permanent solicitor post. The board also informs me that as part of its ongoing review of law centres it proposes to appoint an additional temporary solicitor to Newbridge in the near future. This should have a positive impact on waiting times.
Waiting times are continually reviewed by the board and when, for whatever reason, they become excessive, appropriate remedial action is taken where possible. The increase in waiting times at the board's law centres, including the law centre at Newbridge, is attributable to a significant degree to the continuing increase in the level of demand on the board's services arising from the introduction in recent years of additional family law legislation, including the Domestic Violence Act, 1996 and the Family Law (Divorce) Act, 1996. In the calendar year of 1997, the Legal Aid Board provided legal services to 13,805 people. In that year the number of legally aided cases, that is, cases requiring representation in court, increased from 4,460 to 6,021, an increase of 35 per cent over the previous year. This was the seventh successive year in which there was an increase in the level of service provided by the law centres operated by the Legal Aid Board.
Since June 1997 I have sanctioned eight solicitor posts and 15 administrative posts for law centres. In consultation with the Legal Aid Board I also continually monitor the position with regard to waiting times at the law centres operated by the Legal Aid Board. I am aware that waiting times in some law centres are continuing to increase notwithstanding the allocation of significant additional resources to the board. It is because of this that in December 1997 I sanctioned three solicitor and three clerical posts for the Legal Aid Board on a nine month contract basis. Subsequently in July 1998 I approved 25 additional posts for the Legal Aid Board. Of these, 17 posts, including five solicitor posts, are for law centres to help deal with the extended waiting lists at some of the law centres. I also made permanent six temporary posts, three relief solicitors and three clerical staff, and approved the engagement on a temporary basis of a librarian for head office.
In addition, in order to assist to combat the increase in waiting times I made extra financial resources available to the Legal Aid Board in 1998 and again in 1999. I increased the grant-in-aid by 15 per cent in 1998 to £9.615 million and I am further increasing the allocation this year to £11.953 million, an increase of 25 per cent on 1998. A further allocation of £1 million is being allocated for legal services for asylum seekers bringing the total current allocation to £12.953 million, an increase of 34 per cent over last year.
The board is independent in the exercise of its functions and, therefore, is responsible for determining policy in relation to processing of applications, waiting and consultation time. Nonetheless, at all times I have been determined to ensure that the Legal Aid Board has the capacity to respond quickly to meet particular needs. In this regard I am happy to say that the board operates a policy of providing a priority service in a range of issues which include domestic violence, child care and child abduction. A substantial number of appointments are given each month on a priority basis.
I am confident that the additional financial resources allocated to the board for 1999, together with the additional staff being recruited by the Legal Aid Board, will impact significantly on waiting times at the board's law centres. I will, however, continue to monitor the waiting times at the law centres and at all times provide assistance to the board in fulfilling its mandate subject to budgetary constraints.
Finally, the Legal Aid Board has operated a private practitioner scheme in Dublin on a pilot basis for the past number of years. The board informs me that it hopes to extend this scheme on a nationwide basis in the near future. The scheme should also assist in the reduction of waiting times at law centres.
