Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 23 May 2001

Vol. 536 No. 6

Written Answers. - Law Centres.

Alan Shatter

Question:

77 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the date when the Mount Street Law Centre is to close; the arrangements made for existing clients; the arrangements made for the staff of the law centre; and the assessment which has been undertaken of the impact of the closure. [14562/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The Deputy will be aware that under the terms of the Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995, responsibility for the provision of legal services, including the location of law centres, rests with the Legal Aid Board.

The Deputy may also be aware that the Mount Street premises was the original head office for the Legal Aid Board and that this premises was retained by the board as a law centre when, arising out of an increase in staff numbers, its head office moved to its present location in St. Stephen's Green House in October 1994. I am informed that the board decided to retain the Mount Street premises, on a temporary basis, as a law centre pending the selection of a premises for a city centre law centre which had been approved on 4 March 1994 by my predecessor, Mr. Mervyn Taylor, as Minister for Equality and Law Reform, who had responsibility for civil legal aid at that time. I am informed that the board propose to effect the relocation in the autumn of this year.

In relation to arrangements for the present clientele of the Mount Street Law Centre, the Deputy will be aware that under the terms of the Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995, an applicant for legal services may apply to any law centre in the State, regardless of his or her home address. In this regard, law centres serve no particular catchment area and applicants from the greater Dublin area may apply for legal services at any of the Dublin law centres convenient to them.

I can inform the Deputy that the present clientele of the Mount Street Law Centre come from a variety of areas of both the north and south of Dublin city and county and that only 37 out of 442 people who are current clients actually live in what might be regarded as the Mount Street area. For the Deputy's information, I have included details of the postal districts where those clients live.

I should also mention to the Deputy that the Legal Aid Board operates a private practitioner scheme. Under this scheme applicants are given the option of either going to a private solicitor of their choice from the panel of private practitioners or of having their names added to the waiting list at the law centre. I am informed that there are solicitors from the south city and south county area on the panel.

In relation to arrangements for the staff of the law centre, I am advised that the staffing complement at Mount Street consists of five solicitors, one part-time, one law clerk and five clerical officers. I understand that while the board will require the solicitor-in-charge to transfer to the new centre in the Smithfield area, the other staff will be offered the choice of moving to one of the board's law centres in the Dublin area. I understand that the board will shortly be discussing arrangements for the relocation with the staff representatives.

Finally, I can inform the Deputy that, in view of his interest in this matter, I have requested the board to examine the needs of the Dublin south east area, as part of its ongoing review of the delivery of legal services.

Current Clients of Mount Street Law Centre

Area	Number of clients
Dublin 1	5
Dublin 2	15
Dublin 3	8
Dublin 4	22
Dublin 5	13
Dublin 6	25
Dublin 7	11
Dublin 8	25
Dublin 9	13
Dublin 10	3
Dublin 11	6
Dublin 12	19
Dublin 13	6
Dublin 14	22
Dublin 15	6
Dublin 16	15
Dublin 17	2
Dublin 18	19
Dublin 20	2
Dublin 22	6
Dublin 24	14
North Co. Dublin	24
South Co. Dublin	98
Other	75
Total	442

Richard Bruton

Question:

78 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the term of years of the lease on the Mount Street Law Centre property; the date of expiration of the lease; the dates for rent reviews; the use to which the property will be put should it be vacated by the law centre; and if it is intended to assign or sell the leasehold interest. [15110/01]

Alan Shatter

Question:

201 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the terms of years of the lease on the Mount Street Law Centre property; the date of expiration of the lease; the dates for rent reviews; the use to which the property will be put should it be vacated by the law centre; and if it is intended to assign or sell the leasehold interest. [15145/01]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 201 together.

I am informed by the Legal Aid Board that the Mount Street premises is held under lease for a term of 35 years from 18 August 1980. The expiry date of the lease is 18 August 2015. The terms of the lease provide for a rent review every five years.

I am further informed that following its decision to relocate the law centre from Mount Street, the board instructed its property advisers to dispose of its interest in the property.