Ms Nuala Egan:

The areas in which we can provide legal services are primarily set out by the parameters the Oireachtas has provided for us in the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the amendments thereto. While we can provide legal aid in a considerable number of areas, there are a number of areas where we are specifically excluded from doing that. As I indicated to Deputy Daly, we are precluded from appearing before tribunals such as social welfare tribunals and the RTB because those tribunals have not been designated as matters in respect of which we can provide services. We can and do provide services before the International Protection Appeals Tribunal.

As a result of the position with resources, there are some areas where, in the context of some of the more tangential issues - and I say that with no disrespect - relating to international protection, we do not provide services. We have to rely on the private market to some extent to do that. That is a resources issue. There are two issues in that regard. There are certain issues that are legally outside our parameters and there are other issues where it is a question of resources. We work to ensure that the private system will pick up those differences.