Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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803. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if additional funding can be allocated to the Legal Aid Board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45131/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, 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 (“the 1995 Act”) and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996, as amended.

Section 3(3) of the 1995 Act provides that the Board shall, subject to the provisions of the Act, be independent in the exercise of its functions.

I can advise the Deputy that the funding allocation to the Legal Aid Board for 2024 was approximately €59.1m, which was 11.4 % increase from the 2023 budget of €53.060m.

There was a further 8.5% increase in the recent budget allocation for the Legal Aid Board for 2025, with an allocation of €64.122m for the year.

Given the statutory independence of the Board, it is a matter for the Board and its management team to allocate their allotted funding as they deem appropriate. Officials from my Department are in regular contact with the management team in the Legal Aid Board and have ongoing interaction with the Board, including on the question of resourcing, through the mechanisms of biannual governance meetings, an ongoing Oversight Agreement and an annual Performance Delivery Agreement.