Vol. 540 No. 3
306 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will give details of the revision of the means test for legal aid; the numbers awaiting legal aid at each of the public offices; and the duration of the waiting period in each case. [20722/01]
I can confirm to the Deputy that I will shortly make a statutory instrument to give effect to the revised criteria which will be used to determine financial eligibility under the Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995. The document will be laid before each House of the Oireachtas as soon as may be after it is made in accordance with section 38 of the Act.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the board's waiting times at law centres is set out in the following tabular statement.
I should mention to the Deputy that since the introduction of the Circuit Court private practitioner pilot project which involves the use of private solicitors in divorce and judicial separation cases in the participating law centres of Tallaght, Clondalkin and Finglas, there has been a substantial reduction in the waiting times in these law centres.
The waiting times in these law centres, as at 21 June, 2001 were as: Tallaght Law Centre – two months; Clondalkin Law Centre – four months; Finglas Law Centre – five months.
|
Numbers waiting at eachLegal Aid Law Centre as at31 May, 2001. |
||
|
Law Centre |
NumberWaiting |
Average waiting timein months |
|
Athlone |
20 |
1.5 |
|
Castlebar |
25 |
2 |
|
Cavan |
5 |
0.5 |
|
Cork–Pope's Quay |
35 |
4 |
|
Cork – South Mall |
133 |
6 |
|
Blanchardstown |
64 |
4 |
|
Clondalkin |
145 |
7.5 |
|
Finglas |
53 |
8.5 |
|
Gardiner Street |
123 |
8 |
|
Mount Street |
79 |
5 |
|
Ormond Quay |
64 |
1.5 |
|
Tallaght |
186 |
13 |
|
Dundalk |
19 |
2 |
|
Ennis |
45 |
5.5 |
|
Galway |
97 |
5 |
|
Kilkenny |
180 |
16 |
|
Letterkenny |
107 |
8.5 |
|
Limerick |
11 |
4.5 |
|
Numbers waiting at eachLegal Aid Law Centre as at31 May, 2001. |
||
|
Law Centre |
NumberWaiting |
Average waiting timein months |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
|
Monaghan |
29 |
4 |
|
Navan |
19 |
0.5 |
|
Nenagh |
44 |
9.5 |
|
Newbridge |
70 |
3 |
|
Portlaoise |
22 |
7.5 |
|
Sligo |
31 |
3.5 |
|
Tralee |
125 |
9 |
|
Tullamore |
14 |
3.5 |
|
Waterford |
50 |
3.5 |
|
Wexford |
130 |
7 |
|
Wicklow |
26 |
3 |
