Vol. 547 No. 1
948 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average waiting time for an appointment with a solicitor at each of the legal aid centres; the number of solicitors and other support staff employed at each such centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1617/02]
The Legal Aid Board does not routinely record information relating to an average waiting time for people seeking a consultation with a solicitor. The board, however, records the length of time the person longest on the waiting list has waited for an appointment. The following tabular statement shows the number of solicitors and support staff at each law centre and the average longest waiting time, in months, at each of the board's law centres, for those seeking the boards' services.
I should also mention to the Deputy that the board operates a procedure whereby certain categories of cases are awarded priority status, for example, cases involving domestic violence, child care, child abduction and cases where there are time limits. In priority cases applications are dealt with immediately and the person is not placed on a waiting list. I understand that during 2000 such cases represented almost 27% of the total caseload handled by the board.
|
Law Centre |
Number of Solicitors |
Number of Support Staff |
Waiting time in months |
|
Athlone |
2.5 |
4 |
2.5 |
|
Castlebar |
2 + 1 Apprentice |
2.5 |
1 |
|
Cavan |
1 + 1 Apprentice |
3 |
0.75 |
|
Popes Quay, Cork |
6 |
8 |
2 |
|
South Mall, Cork |
5 + 1 Apprentice |
7 |
6 |
|
Blanchardstown |
3 |
5 |
9.5 |
|
Clondalkin |
2.5 |
5.5 |
2.75 |
|
Finglas |
3 |
5 |
4.5 |
|
Gardiner Street |
6 |
7 |
7.75 |
|
Brunswick Street |
5 |
6 |
5.25 |
|
Ormond Quay |
6 |
7 |
3.5 |
|
Tallaght |
4 |
5 |
3.5 |
|
Dundalk |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
Ennis |
2.5 |
3 |
0 |
|
Galway |
4.5 |
7 |
2.75 |
|
Kilkenny |
3 |
4 |
4.5 |
|
Letterkenny |
2.5 |
4 |
2.75 |
|
Limerick |
3 |
5 |
0.75 |
|
Longford |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
Monaghan |
1 |
3 |
0 |
|
Navan |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
Nenagh |
3 |
4.5 |
3 |
|
Newbridge |
3 |
5 |
2.5 |
|
Portlaoise |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
Sligo |
1.5 |
3 |
2.75 |
|
Tralee |
3 |
4 |
6 |
|
Tullamore |
2 |
3 |
3.5 |
|
Waterford |
2.5 |
4 |
1 |
|
Wexford |
1 |
4 |
6 |
|
Wicklow |
3 |
4 |
4 |
