Lorraine Clifford Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. O'Leary for attending and I wish him the best of luck during his tenure at the Legal Aid Board. I have three questions. First, Mr. O'Leary referred to the Abhaile scheme. The Legal Aid Board is responsible for three component parts of the scheme. How many practitioners have signed up for the scheme and what is the geographical spread of the practitioners? My second question is about the minimum contribution, which currently stands at €130. Are there plans to reduce the minimum contribution, given that many people find it difficult to pay it? Can Mr. O'Leary provide some statistics on the number of waivers of the minimum contribution that were granted in the past year? My third question relates to the waiting times, a matter to which Mr. O'Leary also referred. Are there plans to open the private practitioner panel further to alleviate the waiting times and, if not, what other plans does the board have in that regard? Also, perhaps Mr. O'Leary could indicate the approximate average waiting time.