Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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389. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average waiting times persons are experiencing in receiving free legal aid broken down by category such as family law, repossessions and so on; the actions he will take to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33796/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Legal Aid Board provides civil legal aid and advice pursuant to the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2016.

I am conscious that there are significant demands on the Board and that this gives rise to waiting times for certain services at most of the Board’s law centres. However, waiting times have been markedly reduced over the past couple of years due to measures introduced by the Board and the Deputy will be glad to know that the Board’s budget was increased by €4.15m in 2017.

I know that the Board is extremely conscious of the fact that delays in service can lead to further difficulties not just for the client but also for children, the wider family and even the community as well as the courts system. In relation to repossessions, the Deputy will be aware that insolvent persons seeking legal advice in relation to repossession proceedings may be able to avail of such advice through the Abhaile scheme. A person admitted to the Abhaile scheme does not need to wait before they are seen by a solicitor for legal advice. As part of the scheme a novel “Duty Solicitor” service is available at repossession lists at county registrars’ courts. There is no waiting list for this service. Certain matters are dealt with as priority matters which means they receive the next available appointment at the law centre. Such matters include domestic violence, child abduction, child care, and asylum and related matters. All other applications are placed on the waiting list.

An application for civil legal aid and advice can be made at any Legal Aid Board law centre. The Board does not maintain separate waiting lists for each category of case. The following table sets out the waiting times for civil legal services as of the 1stJune 2017 by law centre. I would highlight to the Deputy that, in law centres facing significant demand, the Legal Aid Board operates a ‘triage’ approach, which involves giving an applicant a short consultation (45 minutes) for legal advice. Those persons remain on the Board’s waiting list if they require further legal services and the wait time for this is indicated by the second column. The majority of centres do not currently deem it necessary to operate the ‘triage’ approach.