Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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1062. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he met with the Legal Aid Board in 2022; if he has received any request from the board for additional staff resources in recent times; if he will review the supports currently available for this important work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63153/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Legal Aid Board is the statutory, independent body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means in the State, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996, as amended.

I can advise the Deputy that a meeting took place between Minister Helen McEntee and the Chairperson of the Legal Aid Board, on 4 May 2022. Minister McEntee also participated in a photocall with members of the Legal Aid Board on 4 October 2022 to mark the launch of its 2021 annual report. I can further advise that officials in my Department met with the Legal Aid Board on a number of occasions during 2022.

Funding for the Legal Aid Board amounted to €47.9m in 2022 and an additional €3 million was allocated in Budget 2023 to the Legal Aid Board in respect of legal advice and support to persons under the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity Act), which will come into effect shortly. The matter of resource allocation is however an operational matter entirely for the Legal Aid Board which is independent in its functions. As part of ongoing governance arrangements, officials in my Department engage regularly with the Board in relation to resourcing matters.