Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
General Scheme of the International Protection Bill 2025: Discussion
2:00 am
Mr. Liam Herrick:
We are at a certain disadvantage in that regard because no definition has been provided to date. We understand that it will not be confidential, individual legal advice as currently prevails. Rather, it may be collective and provided by people who are not legally qualified. In our view, that is not regulated or permitted under Irish law at present and we do not understand any way in which it can be permissible under Irish law.
Our analysis is clear that at present, at first instance, people are provided with legal advice. We believe that is valuable, essential and necessary. There is no reason Ireland is required to create a new system of legal counselling. Legal advice, as it is currently constituted, can encompass counselling as well. We are concerned there will be a significant diminution of rights in this respect. We also think that this could create great legal uncertainty, potentially even an increased level of litigation into the future.
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