Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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By way of background, Criminal Legal Aid is a vital element of the criminal justice system and the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 gives expression to the Constitutional position that legal aid must be granted, in certain circumstances, for the defence of persons of insufficient means in criminal proceedings. Under the 1962 Act, the courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of legal aid. My Department has no role in the granting of legal aid or in the appointment of solicitors to a case. My Department is only responsible for the payment of fees and expenses to the legal practitioners.

The information sought by the Deputy is not recorded in the way it is sought, therefore, it is not possible to provide the data as requested. The number of Criminal Legal Aid Certificates issued in the District Court are recorded and are provided in the table below. However, it should be noted that the number of certificates issued is not equivalent to the number of individuals granted Criminal Legal Aid.