Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 May 1999

Vol. 504 No. 2

Written Answers. - Legal Aid Service.

Liz McManus

Ceist:

44 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps, if any, being taken to provide additional resources for the legal aid system in view of the fact that some clients have to wait up to almost two years for an appointment to see a solicitor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11550/99]

Willie Penrose

Ceist:

83 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the extra resources and staff, if any, he has allocated to address waiting lists in law centres; the centres to which extra staff have been allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11558/99]

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Ceist:

91 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will establish regional law centres in each of the eight regions in the State. [11555/99]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 44, 83 and 91 together.

As Minister with responsibility for the Legal Aid Board, I am aware of the demands on its services. In consultation with the board, I 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. Where waiting times, for whatever reasons, become excessive the position is examined by the board with a view to taking remedial action. The waiting times for appointments with solicitors as at 31 March 1999 are set out in the table which I will have circulated with the Official Report.

The legal aid board has operated a private practitioners scheme in the Dublin area on a pilot basis for some years. I understand that the board intends to extend the scheme on a nation-wide basis in the coming months. This should increase the throughput of legally aided cases.

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. None of those accorded priority were put on waiting lists.

In order to combat the increase in waiting times I made additional 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, in 1999, I am further increasing the allocation by 24 per cent to £11.953 million. In addition, I have allocated a further £1 million in 1999 for legal services for asylum seekers, bringing the total current allocation to £12.953 million, an increase of 35 per cent approximately over last year.

Last July I approved 25 additional posts for the legal aid board. Of these, 17 posts, including five solicitor posts, were for law centres.

These posts were allocated as follows: Wicklow – 1 solicitor, 1 clerical officer; Popes Quay – 1 solicitor, 2 clerical officers; Cork Sth – 1 Solicitor, 2 clerical officers, 1 law clerk; Galway – 1 solicitor, 1 clerical officer; Sligo – 1 solicitor, 1 clerical officer; Clondalkin – 1 clerical officer; Mount St – 1 clerical officer; Finglas – 1 clerical officer; Tallaght – 1 clerical officer.

The remaining posts which I approved for the board were comprised of six transient posts which I had made into permanent posts. These were allocated as follows: Gardiner St – 1 solicitor, 1 clerical officer; Newbridge – 1 solicitor, 1 clerical officer; Tullamore – 1 solicitor, 1 clerical officer.

I believe that these allocations of staff and finance, and the other initiatives in which the board is engaged, should help to alleviate the situation with regard to waiting times in the law centres.

I have no proposal before me for the establishment of law centres for the regions. The emphasis by the legal aid board is on providing an enhanced quality service to its customers from its network of existing law centres and in this it has my full support.

Waiting Time (in months) for appointments with solicitors of the Legal Aid Board at 31 March, 1999.

Law Centre	Months
Athlone	12.5
Castlebar	1.5
Cavan	Nil
Popes Quay	17.0
South Mall	22.5
Blanchardstown	2.5
Clondalkin	2.0
Finglas	8.5
Gardiner Street	12.0
Mount Street	12.0
Ormond Quay	8.5
Tallaght	14.5
Dundalk	4.5
Ennis	9.5
Galway	18.0
Kilkenny	4.0
Letterkenny	6.0
Limerick	8.5
Longford	1.0
Monaghan	3.5
Navan	3.0
Law Centre	Months
Nenagh	9.0
Newbridge	23.0
Portlaoise	3.0
Sligo	6.0
Tralee	11.0
Tullamore	4.0
Waterford	0.5
Wexford	4.0
Wicklow	18.5