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does not merit serious consideration and thought. I hope the Minister examines each one individually, takes it on board and then brings those recommendations forward. The criminal legal aid system was actually working. It needed tweaks, as the Minister himself said. It most certainly needs reform. The civil … waiting anywhere between six months and over a year. That is not acceptable. There is a tsunami of requests going into the Legal Aid Board. If we are raising the threshold, we have to ensure beforehand that it is already resourced and that waiting times are reduced

broadly by the Department. The Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and associated regulations govern the provisions of civil legal aid by the Legal Aid Board. Section 28 (9)(a) of the 1995 Act provides that certain "designated matters" are excluded from the scope of civil legal aid. Defamation

work is necessary. We have heard this across the board, coming in from all sides of the aisle, for want of a better term. The fact is that we have huge issues in the civil legal aid system and that the matter is urgent, but we have … providing services. The latter difficulties relate to payment. Everybody has stated explicitly, and it is in the report, that the Legal Aid Board needs to be properly funded and resourced. We are aware that there is a need for mediation services and any means available to deal with

have secured a 67% increase in funding to the free legal advice centres and €74.6 million has been secured for the Legal Aid Board. Overall, this represents an investment of over €90 million in access to justice initiatives, the highest investment in the history of the State

ensure access to justice is available to all, regardless of income or circumstance. The evidence presented to the committee by FLAC, the Legal Aid Board, the Law Society, the Bar of Ireland, Women's Aid and others was compelling. The conclusions of the report are clear. The committee … positions. To get out of those circumstances, they need to access civil legal aid. Currently, that is being denied to far too many of them. I hope the Minister of State will take that on board and address it, as I hope the Minister will also. I thank

addressed. The report has 30 recommendations, such is the scale of the reform needed. Adequate and immediate funding for the Legal Aid Board is the first step in ensuring it can fulfil its statutory functions, as set out in legislation. Funding is an issue, and the committee

altogether". It stated that would arise specifically from the implementation of the EU migration pact and its transposition. Yesterday, we heard the Legal Aid Board was on the point of collapse. That is the urgency that is required. Will the Minister confirm, because

work for victims of domestic violence. They have to be rejected by three solicitors before they can go back to the Legal Aid Board. This is a crazy barrier for those seeking to break free of domestic violence. There is worrying anecdotal evidence that many are giving … response last week, I am concerned that there is not an acknowledgement of the urgency of the issue for those who need legal aid to secure barring orders. There is no use in the House talking about zero tolerance on the one hand and, on the other, referring

solicitors who may be able to assist in urgent family law matters. However, it appears that information on solicitors participating in the Legal Aid Board’s law panel is not readily available to organisations such as Lifeline Inishowen and other organisations. This creates difficulties in attempting to assist

explanation of the criteria and procedure for determining the member state responsible, and issues such as that. That will be provided through Legal Aid Board. If they are not qualified solicitors or barristers, they will be very well trained paralegals who will be able to provide that assistance … provide to people bringing applications and as it gets to people appealing, there is an obligation to provide more by way of legal services. I recall we had a lengthy debate on Second Stage about legal counselling. Deputy Gannon understandably asked what it was about and where

this House assurance in respect of the preparatory work and in respect of his own Department, the IPO, IPAT, Tusla, the civil Legal Aid Board and the overall process and accommodation. If he cannot provide assurances that his Department is ready for everything it has enacted, I cannot … Minister the authority to enact this legislation at a time of his choosing, potentially opening up this State to huge costs from legal challenges and infringement proceedings at an EU level

include citizens information and all that sort of stuff? Will he clarify that? The fact this is all being thrown on the Legal Aid Board otherwise will not work. The whole thing will collapse. The Minister can smile all he wants but this will collapse. There … this until now is symbolic of the much more worrying issue of how in the name of God this legislation will ever be legally sound and resourced

civil legal aid is provided by the legal aid board, primarily through a network of law centres and solicitors employed by the board. There are times when the board will engage private solicitors to supplement the services provided by board solicitors in certain areas … must go before the courts because they are in a family law predicament. We need to ensure they have access to appropriate legal advice in order to facilitate them in vindicating their rights under the Constitution and under statute. It is progressing, the reports are completed

centre of the process. I understand that the Office of Wards of Court was represented, along with DSS and the Legal Aid Board. I also understand that the Minister is willing to put on more of those events if they are helpful. Many wards of courts are people … family members who will become our decision supporters. Under the old system, once a person became a ward, they lost all of their legal capacity whereas now they will retain autonomy and continue to participate in decisions about their own life. The new system is designed to support

meet the target. We are therefore entitled to ask whether sufficient planning was undertaken at commencement and whether the DSS, the Legal Aid Board, the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities and the Courts Service were adequately resourced to meet the volume anticipated. Were sufficient court medical … interests of justice to do so", subject to an overall long-stop date of 25 October 2027. These are serious legal standards but they are quite broad and experts at the centre of disability law and policy in Galway have expressed concern that without clear parameters, the discretion

discharge process, which is also a concern for me. The public bodies tasked with the implementation of the Act, such as the Legal Aid Board, the National Advocacy Service and the Decision Support Service remain both understaffed and under-resourced. It was not just Oireachtas Members who were … that these changes are being made without adequate consideration of the wishes of those most impacted by them. The Bill seeks to provide legal certainty in wardship cases by enabling wardships to be extended. It is concerning that there is a specification that only some wardships will

operation of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, for example the Office of the Wards of Court, the Decision Support Service, the Legal Aid Board, the NDA, the National Advocacy Service and, most importantly, wards, their families and their committees. The reason I am saying this is that … capacity. We now have a total of four judges working on this. It is also important to say that everybody now has a legal aid certificate in place. I know Deputy Gogarty in particular had concerns that resources might come after the fact, but since December, there

legally represented at this disclosure hearing and, under the law, is entitled to have a solicitor or barrister, engaged by the Legal Aid Board, to act on the victim's behalf. Even where a court orders disclosure, it may impose any condition it considers necessary in the interest … rights from those convicted of killing their partner or the other parent of their child. This should not be treated as a private legal dispute, it is a child protection issue that belongs firmly in the realm of public law. This legislation delivers on the programme for Government

Probation Service and Forensic Science Ireland, being under the direct aegis of my Department, are already specified bodies under the Schedule. The Legal Aid Board is also a specified body. Amendment No. 81 proposes to further amend Schedule 5 to the 2005 Act in order

section 27 of the Act of 1995, ‘legal aid’ in that Act means representation by a solicitor or barrister, engaged by the Legal Aid Board under section 11 of that Act, on behalf of a complainant or witness in relation to an application pursuant to this section

failure to appropriately resource the public bodies most involved in the implementation of the Act, such as the Decision Support Service, Legal Aid Board and National Advocacy Service in order to achieve that goal. I am calling on the Minister of State to commit to providing further resources

this time to look at what can be done. The centre raised the failure to resource the public bodies, the Legal Aid Board, the National Advocacy Service and the Decision Support Service. That needs to be looked at. The fifth concern related to some of the wider issues

table. Shamim Malekmian in the Dublin Inquirer has reported on a freedom of information response from the Department of justice and the Legal Aid Board. This was in the Dublin Inquirer a couple of weeks ago and very clearly showed the potential for chatbots - I can send

Tusla nor the civil legal aid system will be able to cope with the demands they will face under this legislation. The Legal Aid Board has indicated that it may struggle to meet the demand for its services within the tighter timeframes provided for under the Bill

series of much tighter legal timeframes without providing the resources for them to be met. It is no wonder that the Legal Aid Board is raising the alarm about its ability to cope. This apparent negligence is, of course, deliberate. The Government is on purpose creating a system

Migration the number of asylum seekers and persons seeking international protection who have received free legal advice or representation through the Legal Aid Board in each of the past five years; the total expenditure in each of those years; and if he will make a statement

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice the steps he will take to ensure that the Legal Aid Board is properly funded and resourced, so as to be able to hire temporary replacement staff in cases where existing staff are on maternity leave. [28470/25

Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice the total funding allocated to the Legal Aid Board for 2024 and 2025. [26909/25

plan for the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, if his department has or intend to undertake a cost analysis on funding the legal aid board to meet increased early-stage demand under the new system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16040/25

Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if his Department sets the fees for solicitors on the Legal Aid Board's private panels or only sets out the overall budget. [2505/25

Home Affairs and Migration whether legal representation in housing-related disputes, including disputes before the Residential Tenancies Board, is being considered as part of reform of the civil legal aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32915/26