Topics / Legal Aid

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Legal Aid

180 questions from 41 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 20 October 2026.

180
questions
172 written, 8 oral
41
TDs have asked
9
parties and groups
Independents counted together
2
departments asked

Questions per month

The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.

Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
MonthQuestions
January 20252
February 20252
March 20255
April 20252
May 20255
June 20250
July 20254
August 20250
September 202513
October 20255
November 202510
December 20253
January 20261
February 20260
March 202630
April 202610
May 202620
June 202619
July 202610
August 20260
September 202624
October 202615

Who asks, by party

The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.

  • Aontú3 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil20 from 11 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael27 from 7 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Independent2 from 1 TD · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland32 from 2 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party3 from 3 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity7 from 2 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin52 from 10 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 31
  2. 31
  3. 29
  4. 17
  5. 5
  6. 5
  7. 4
  8. 4

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
202. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether, under the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme, fees payable to solicitors will vary based on case complexity, number of charges, number of accused persons or duration of proceedings, or any other consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22919/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
203. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will publish the analysis and evidence underpinning the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme, including any review of District Court cases used to inform the proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22920/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
204. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the evidence he has received which supports the assertion that the current criminal legal aid scheme incentivises unnecessary adjournments or inefficiencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22921/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
205. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the projected annual savings arising from the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme; the details of any cost-benefit analysis undertaken, including potential downstream costs such as delays, appeals or retrials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22923/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
206. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the proposed fee structure under the revised criminal legal aid scheme represents an increase or decrease in effective remuneration for solicitors undertaking criminal legal aid work, including any modelling carried out in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22924/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
207. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the assessments that have been carried out on the potential impact of the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme on access to legal representation and the constitutional right to a fair trial; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22925/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
208. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether any assessment has been made of the risk that the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme could result in reduced participation by solicitors in criminal legal aid work; the implications of any such reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22926/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
209. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of solicitors currently participating in the criminal legal aid scheme, the trends in participation in recent years; the workforce impact assessment conducted in relation to the proposed changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22927/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
210. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the consultation process undertaken in relation to the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme; the stakeholders consulted; the nature of that consultation and the way in which feedback has informed the proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22932/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
211. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the way in which the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid scheme align with commitments in the Programme for Government to restore criminal legal aid fees; the basis for any assertion that the proposals constitute a restoration rather than a reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22933/26]
Matt Carthy Written 25 Mar 2026 · to Justice
212. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the meetings that he or his officials held with the Law Society in respect of the criminal legal aid scheme since he took office and prior to the announcement of proposed changes to the fee structure under the scheme; whether any proposed meetings were cancelled or postponed by his Department; whether there are further meetings planned…
Barry Ward Written 24 Mar 2026 · to Justice
713. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of solicitors providing criminal legal aid services in each of the years from 2021 to 2025 on a per county basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22135/26]
Barry Ward Written 24 Mar 2026 · to Justice
715. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of solicitors providing criminal legal aid services in each of the years from 2021 to 2025, on a per county basis, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22150/26]
Barry Ward Written 24 Mar 2026 · to Justice
716. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of barristers registered to receive criminal legal aid payments for the provision of criminal legal aid services in each of the years from 2021 to 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22151/26]
Barry Ward Written 24 Mar 2026 · to Justice
717. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of barristers who received a criminal legal aid payment for the provision of criminal legal aid services in each of the years from 2021 to 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22152/26]
Barry Ward Written 24 Mar 2026 · to Justice
718. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average and median amounts paid to a barrister providing criminal legal aid services in each of the years from 2021 to 2025; whether the figure includes VAT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22153/26]
Ruairí Ó Murchú Written 19 Mar 2026 · to Justice
21. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update on his Department's engagement with the Law Society of Ireland and other stakeholders ahead of the changes to legal aid at the District Court; when it is proposed the changes will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20824/26]
William Aird Written 18 Mar 2026 · to Justice
1290. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he intends to overhaul the free legal aid system currently in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19015/26]
William Aird Written 18 Mar 2026 · to Justice
1291. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will remove the means test for access to civil legal aid in cases concerning domestic violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19016/26]
Donna McGettigan Written 18 Mar 2026 · to Justice
1295. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timeline and action plan for reform of the scheme of civil legal aid and advice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19046/26]
Donna McGettigan Written 18 Mar 2026 · to Justice
1296. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the highly restrictive means test for access to civil legal aid in cases concerning domestic violence will be removed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19047/26]
Donna McGettigan Written 18 Mar 2026 · to Justice
1297. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the plans to make legal aid available in discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, equal pay, and maternity and pregnancy protection cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19048/26]
Donna McGettigan Written 18 Mar 2026 · to Justice
1298. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the plans to introduce a properly resourced national legal information and advice service for women, including victims of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19049/26]
Barry Ward Written 18 Mar 2026 · to Justice
1337. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of solicitors providing family law legal advice services under the Civil Legal Aid - Family Law Private Practitioner Panel in each of the years from 1995 to 2025 inclusive, on a per county basis, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19979/26]
Barry Ward Written 18 Mar 2026 · to Justice
1338. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of solicitors registered on the International Protection Legal Solicitors Panel under the Civil Legal Aid in each of the years from 1995 to 2025 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19980/26]