Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 April 2024
500. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide a breakdown of the amounts paid to private practitioners in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; the amount paid to each of the top-ten recipients of fees under the international protection private practitioners scheme, by the practitioner's name and fees in those years. [16154/24]
View answerThe Legal Aid Board is the statutory, independent body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2021.
The 1995 Act was amended by Section 54 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 which gave the Board the additional responsibility of providing a family mediation service. Section 3(3) of the Act states that the Board shall, subject to the provisions of the Act, be independent in the exercise of its functions.
The Deputy may be aware that civil legal aid and advice is provided primarily through a network of law centres by solicitors employed by the Board. The Board operates a total of 34 full-time law centres and dedicated units along with three part-time centres, and three specialist legal offices. The Board also operates 19 family mediation centres. Eight of the law centres and family mediation offices are co-located.
The Board also engages private solicitors to supplement the services provided by Board solicitors in certain areas of law on a case by case basis. These areas include District Court family law matters, Circuit Court judicial separation and divorce cases, international protection cases, and cases on foot of the Abhaile scheme.
I am informed that the Board also delivers specialist services at the following locations: Law Centre Smithfield (International Protection, Human Trafficking and Child Abduction), Dolphin House (District Court Family Law and Mediation), Montague Court (Medical Negligence/Personal Injuries) and Chancery Street (Childcare).
The Board has established a number of solicitor panels for different case types. Solicitors in private practice agree to be members of those panels and are paid fees per case depending on the terms and conditions of each panel.
The table below sets out in tabular format the ten firms of solicitors on the International Protection Solicitors Panel who have been paid the highest amount of fees, in total over the period 1 January 2023 to 31 March 2024. This is further broken down to the fees paid during 2023 and from 1 January to 31 March 2024.
International Protection Solicitors Panel Ten Highest Paid Solicitors 01 January to 31 March 2024
|
James Watters & Company |
€181,886.25 |
|
Hegarty-Blacklock & Company Solicitors |
€113,848.80 |
|
Ferrys Solicitors LLP |
€75,288.30 |
|
Burns Kelly Corrigan Solicitors |
€60,805.05 |
|
Patrick J Sweeney Solicitors |
€50,048.20 |
|
KOD Lyons Solicitors LLP |
€49,741.20 |
|
Steer Law Solicitors |
€39,790.60 |
|
Siobhan Conlon |
€34,968.90 |
|
Cyril & Co Solicitors |
€33,422.79 |
|
Niall J Walsh |
€29,925.90 |
