Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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150. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of a 10% increase in funding to legal aid. [28603/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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At the outset, it is important to clarify that criminal legal aid and civil legal aid are separate services. Under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962, it is the Courts, through the judiciary, that are responsible for the granting of legal aid. The Criminal Legal Aid Scheme is demand-led and the fees and expenses due to legal practitioners are paid in accordance with the terms and conditions of the scheme.

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 accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2021.

The 1995 Act was amended by Section 54 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 which gave the Board the additional responsibility of providing a family mediation service. Section 3(3) of the Act states that the Board shall, subject to the provisions of the Act, be independent in the exercise of its functions.

The Deputy may be aware that civil legal aid and advice is provided primarily through a network of law centres by solicitors employed by the Board. The Board operates a total of 34 full-time law centres and dedicated units along with three part-time centres, and three specialist legal offices. The Board also operates 19 family mediation centres. Eight of the law centres and family mediation offices are co-located.

I can confirm for the Deputy that funding allocated to the Legal Aid Board for Civil Legal Aid for 2024 amounts to €59,122,000. This is an increase of €6 million on the organisation’s funding allocation for 2023, which was set at €53,060,000. Should the Legal Aid Board’s budget of €59,122,000 for 2024 be increased by 10%, it would result in an increase of €5,912,200.

Further allocations of funding to Legal Aid Board will be confirmed through the standard budgetary estimates process.