Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 502: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps being taken to reduce the waiting lists for civil legal aid in view of how crucial early access to assistance and advice is in legal matters. [18814/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I wish to refer the Deputy to the detailed information provided in Parliamentary Questions Nos. 1 and 15 of 23 June, 2011 in which I explained the background to the increased waiting times and the measures that the Legal Aid Board has taken to try to alleviate the problem. I would specifically like to draw the Deputy's attention to the following extract from my reply to Question No. 1 of 23 June, 2011:

"Like all public service organisations, the Board has also been subject to the public service recruitment embargo and the employee control framework. While the Board had a full staff sanction of 384, the current staffing is in the region of 350. The Board has sought to maintain its front line staffing to the greatest extent possible.

The Board has taken a range of measures with a view to addressing the increasing demand for services in a resource constrained environment. These include:

· Increasing the number of cases referred to private solicitors for the purpose of providing a service.

· An advice-only service which facilitates an earlier, brief, meeting with a solicitor where applicants are likely to have to wait in excess of four months for a substantive appointment.

· An integration of the delivery of all services with a view to ensuring the most effective deployment of resources.

· The recent introduction of a pilot integrated mediation initiative in Dublin involving the Board co-locating and cooperating with the Family Mediation Service and the Courts Service. The purpose of the initiative is to offer applicants for legal services alternatives to litigation in the Courts as a better (and from the State's point of view) a more cost-effective means of resolving family law disputes.

· The creation of specialist units for medical negligence and childcare services.

· The current development of a new legal case management system that is likely to improve the efficiency of service delivery, the management of risk in the organisation and provide for on-line applications.

The Board has also made use of a very limited exemption from the moratorium in relation to a small number of temporary front-line service delivery positions.

The Board has been operating a work placement scheme in co-operation with FÁS over the past two years and has also utilised a small number of solicitors who have sought experience on a voluntary basis. Under the Work Placement Scheme the Board has engaged up to 10 solicitors at any one time. The placements are for a maximum of 9 months and consist of a commitment to a 30 hours per week. The Board is very prepared to utilise all avenues available in addressing the huge surge in demand for services including the intern scheme referred to.

I intend to have a conversation with the Chairperson of the Legal Aid Board regarding the utilisation of the new National Internship Scheme which is due to commence on 1 July 2011, to temporarily assist in reducing the backlog currently affecting the law centres."