Written answers
Thursday, 16 April 2015
Department of Justice and Equality
Legal Aid Service Staff
Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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111. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the grades and number of persons that came to her Department for approval from the Legal Aid Board and that she has approved for recruitment since 1 January 2014; the positions she refused to approve as part of this process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15020/15]
Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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114. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number and grades of staff that have been approved for employment in the Legal Aid Board since 1 January 2014; the number of these who are providing front-line services, are managers and-or administrators; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15015/15]
Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 114 together.
The breakdown of the Legal Aid Board’s overall staffing complement as of 1 April 2015 is as follows:
| Location | Number of staff | Frontline (yes/no) | % of Total Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law Centres | 286 (including 113 solicitors). | Yes | 75% |
| Mediation Offices | 31 (including 16 Mediators). | Yes | 8% |
| Research and Information Unit | 12 | Yes | 3% |
| Corporate Support Areas e.g IT, HR | 47 | No | 12% |
| Criminal Legal Aid | 7 | Yes | 2% |
| Totals | 383 |
| Exception sought | Grade | No. of Exceptions | Decision | Sanction Date | Exception Granted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Mediator - Legal Aid Board x 5 and 1 CO | Family Mediator and Clerical Officer | 6 | Approved | 28-Feb-14 | 6 |
| Legal Staff Officer - LAB | Higher Executive Officer | 1 | Approved | 24-Jul-14 | 1 |
| Legal Aid Board - Solicitors | 2x Managing Solicitor G1, 3 x Solicitor Grade 3 | 5 | Approved | 28-Aug-14 | 5 |
| Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Board | Assistant Secretary | 1 | Approved | 23-Sep-14 | 1 |
| Director of Civil Legal Aid | PO | 1 | Approved | 10-Feb-15 | 1 |
| Legal Aid Board - Managing Solicitor Grade 1 x 2, Solicitor x 3, CO x 3 | 2 x Managing Solicitor G1, 3 x Solicitor G3, CO x 3 | 8 | Approved | 12-Mar-15 | 8 |
The Board has continued to develop innovative ways of delivering services to ensure that their staffing resources are deployed to best effect. In this connection, the Board has introduced a triage service across the law centre network that facilitates applicants in getting an early meeting with a solicitor for advice on their legal problem. Mediation information is also being provided in a number of locations so that legally aided clients are facilitated in considering mediation as an alternative to litigation as a means of resolving their disputes.
The Board is also in the process of introducing a new management structure for the law centre network that is designed to improve the management of risk and performance in the organisation. The new structure will also assist the Board in meeting organisational priorities identified in the Board’s new Corporate Plan for the period 2015-2017.
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