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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 15 Jun 1999

Vol. 506 No. 2

Written Answers. - Legal Aid Service.

Derek McDowell

Ceist:

85 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the waiting time for appointments with solicitors at each legal aid centre; the steps, if any, being taken to reduce waiting times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15382/99]

The waiting times for appointments with solicitors as at 31 May 1999 are set out in the table which I will have circulated with the Official Report. In four law centres the waiting time for an appointment was one month or less, in seven law centres it was between one and three months, in five law centres it was between three and six months, in seven law centres it was between six and 12 months, in five law centres it was between 12 and 18 months and in two law centres the waiting time was greater than 18 months.

In consultation with the Legal Aid 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.

In this regard, 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. The private practitioners scheme provides a complimentary legal service to that which is already available from the law centres. The expansion nationwide of the private practitioners scheme, should increase the throughput of legally aided cases and also enable the law centres to devote more resources towards non District Court matters.
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. For example, 1,879 of the 8,722 appointments offered in law centres in 1998 were for priority matters. None of those accorded priority were put on waiting lists. In the Dublin area, 911 appointments were offered through the private practitioner scheme operated by the Legal Aid Board in 1998.
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 I am further increasing the allocation to £11.953 million this year, an increase of 24 per cent on 1998. An additional allocation of £l million for legal services for asylum seekers has been made in 1999, bringing the total current allocation to £12.953 million, an increase of 34 per cent over last year.
While the board has sanction for 89 solicitor posts, there are currently solicitor vacancies in three law centres, namely, Dundalk, Popes Quay and South Mall, Cork. A competition is under way to fill these three posts and the board is confident it will have its full complement of 89 solicitors in place shortly. I believe that these allocations should help to alleviate the situation with regard to waiting times in the law centres.
Waiting Time (in months) for appointments with solicitors of the Legal Aid Board at 31st May, 1999.

Law Centre.

31st May, 1999.

Athlone

9.5

Castlebar

1.5

Cavan

1.5

Popes Quay

17

South Mall

22

Blanchardstown

3

Clondalkin

3

Finglas

4.5

Gardiner Street

13

Mount Street

12

Ormond Quay

8

Tallaght

11

Dundalk

4

Ennis

7.5

Galway

17

Kilkenny

3.5

Letterkenny

4

Limerick

7.5

Longford

1

Monaghan

2.5

Navan

3

Nenagh

9

Newbridge

23

Portlaoise

3

Law Centre.

31st May, 1999.

Sligo

0.5

Tralee

13

Tullamore

1

Waterford

1

Wexford

4

Wicklow

17

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