Skip to main content
Normal View

Legal Aid Service.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2004

Thursday, 30 September 2004

Questions (231, 232)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

232 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will report on his action plan to reduce the waiting times to see a legal aid solicitor; and the steps he has taken or will take to ensure that the Legal Aid Board does not find itself in breach of Article 6.1 of the European Convention on Human Rights as a result of the failure of his Department to allocate adequate funding for this service. [23160/04]

View answer

Written answers

I can inform the Deputy that the level of resources provided to the Legal Aid Board has increased significantly in recent years. For example, in 1997 the grant-in-aid available to the board was €10.656 million. The figure for 2004 represents an increase of almost 73% during this period and I would expect that the funding for the board will be further increased in 2005.

I can assure the Deputy that the Legal Aid Board continuously monitors the operation of its law centre network and where waiting times at a law centre, for whatever reason, become excessive, the position is examined by the board with a view to taking remedial action.

I can also inform the Deputy that the board operates a procedure whereby priority is accorded for certain categories of cases, for example, domestic violence, child care, child abduction and other cases where there are time limits. These cases are dealt with immediately and such applicants are not placed on a waiting list. Such a system for priority treatment is necessary to ensure that persons subjected to domestic violence and cases involving the care of children are provided with a speedy service. It is important to note that in 2003, priority appointments offered by law centres were approximately 22% of the total number of appointments offered to new clients during the year.

In addition, managing solicitors at law centres have authority to give priority to any case on the waiting list at their centre. For example, if an applicant is gravely ill or in cases where an applicant is in danger of losing assets or of losing title to a legal remedy if services are delayed, the managing solicitor can accord such cases priority status.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

233 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons on legal aid waiting lists at each of the 30 law centres; the number of clients waiting in each category; and the waiting time for each law centre. [23161/04]

View answer

I can inform the Deputy that the Legal Aid Board does not routinely compile statistics under the heading "number of clients waiting by category". However, it does record the length of time the person longest on the waiting list has waited. The following table includes the length of time the person longest on the waiting list has waited for legal services as of 31 August 2004 by law centre.

Law centre

Number of persons on waiting list as at 31/08/2004

Maximum current waiting time as at 31/08/2004 in months

Athlone

29

3.75

Castlebar

90

4.25

Cavan

26

3.75

Cork — Popes Quay

140

6.00

Cork — South Mall

330

14.00

Dublin — Blanchardstown

121

12.00

Dublin — Clondalkin

99

4.25

Dublin — Finglas

123

13.50

Dublin — Gardiner St.

113

7.00

Dublin — Brunswick St.

47

4.25

Dublin — Ormond Quay

88

3.50

Dublin — Tallaght

134

5.00

Dundalk

37

7.75

Ennis

90

9.00

Galway

209

5.75

Kilkenny

98

7.50

Letterkenny

113

6.25

Limerick

31

4.00

Longford

0

0.00

Monaghan

22

3.50

Navan

106

13.25

Nenagh

35

7.25

Newbridge

243

16.00

Portlaoise

118

16.00

Sligo

14

2.00

Tralee

63

6.25

Tullamore

40

1.75

Waterford

94

4.25

Wexford

93

6.00

Wicklow

86

10.75

Total

2,832

Top
Share