Seanad debates

Tuesday, 7 October 2025

Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters

Legal Aid

2:00 am

Joanne Collins (Sinn Fein)

I thank the Minister of State very much. I am delighted to see this area is being looked at now. I have one request while it is being looked at and this is to take into account the fact that sometimes one party may be entitled to legal aid and the other is not. If that is the case and if proceedings are being drawn out by months and sometimes years, could this aspect be looked at again for that person who is not entitled to legal aid at the start to see if they may be entitled to it halfway through? The Minister of State knows it could cost €1,000 each time it is necessary to get a solicitor to go to court. If what I have described becomes the case during the trial or whatever the different proceedings might be, I ask if eligibility for a means test for legal aid can be revisited at that point.

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