Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree this has been going on for too long, which is why I was really pleased to be able to make progress for the first time in this year's budget just yesterday. It is not possible for me to confirm to any organisation what may or may not be in the budget. What I can do, and certainly did do in this instance, was to reassure people, insofar as I possibly could, that this was a priority and something I was working on and that I was actively engaged on with my colleague in the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. He made it clear that he supported and wanted to work with barristers and solicitors working in the criminal legal aid profession. It is important that young, new barristers and solicitors take this path. I know this has been a disincentive for many people, which is why it is just not about the restoration of fees but also making sure the structure is correct and the way in which they are paid and the system itself is fair, quick and efficient, that people are not left waiting and they know there will be decent pay at the end of the day. When one looks at the overall figures, a higher percentage of those engaging in criminal legal aid cases probably take in less than €50,000. I acknowledge that this has been an ongoing problem, which is why I am pleased that we have made progress. I stress that this is the start of a process and I will be engaging immediately with the associations to make further progress as quickly as possible with the timeline I gave the Deputy.

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