Questions

566. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has collected or analysed data on the reasons for adjournments in District Court criminal legal aid cases, including adjournments arising from disclosure, DPP directions, forensic reports, probation reports, psychiatric assessments, interpreter availability, court-list pressures or other prosecution-side o…

567. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in relation to the new District Court criminal legal aid fee model, which replaces the previous payment of approximately €240 for a first appearance and €60 for each subsequent appearance with a flat fee of €520 per defendant, the assessment that has been carried out of the impact of this change on complex or longer-running case…

568. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the way in which the new District Court criminal legal aid fee model is expected to address the rise in District Court criminal legal aid expenditure from approximately €19 million in 2015 to €37 million in 2024; the projected savings that are expected from the new model; whether these projections have been shared with the Law S…

569. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has analysed the extent to which repeated appearances in District Court criminal legal aid cases arises from defence-side conduct as opposed to prosecution-side or system factors, including disclosure, DPP directions, forensic reports, probation reports, psychiatric assessments, interpreter availability or…

635. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the rationale for deferring the restoration of the final 8% of District Court criminal legal aid fees until 1 July 2026; whether he will consider bringing forward this restoration in light of concerns raised by the Bar of Ireland regarding the impact on access to justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32500/26]

636. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has assessed the impact that the deferral of District Court fee restoration is having on the availability of experienced barristers willing to take on criminal legal aid work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32501/26]

637. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timeline for the substantive review of District Court fees announced by his Department; the terms of reference for that review; the stakeholders being consulted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32502/26]

638. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has reviewed the operation of the flat-fee model for District Court criminal legal aid; whether he is aware of concerns raised by the Bar of Ireland that the model penalises defence lawyers for procedural delay and adjournments necessitated by essential procedural steps; and if he will make a statement on …

639. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has data on the number of experienced practitioners who have ceased taking on District Court criminal legal aid work over the past three years; the steps being taken to prevent an exodus of senior practitioners from this area of practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32504/26]

640. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the substantive or administrative overlap between solicitors' fees and barristers' fees in District Court legal aid matters; whether his Department intends to review this overlap as part of the broader fee review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32505/26]

644. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current status of pre-legislative scrutiny of the Civil Reform Bill 2025 by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice; the expected publication date of the draft Bill; the timeline for its progression through the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32509/26]

645. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to the announcement that the proposal to initiate certain judicial review applications in the Circuit Court is being dropped; the specific reforms now proposed within the High Court process to deliver the efficiencies originally sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32510/26]

646. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his response to concerns raised by the Bar of Ireland and human rights organisations during pre-legislative scrutiny that the proposed public-interest test in judicial review proceedings under the Civil Reform Bill 2025 may place unnecessary barriers in the path of citizens seeking remedy in court; and if he will make a statemen…

647. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason certain provisions in the Civil Reform Bill 2025 depart from the recommendations of the Kelly Report; whether he will consider amendments during legislative scrutiny to align the Bill more closely with those recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32512/26]

648. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Civil Reform Bill 2025, as currently drafted, includes adequate safeguards for effective court oversight in public law litigation, particularly given concerns raised about the proposed standing and public-interest tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32513/26]