Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1511. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of legal aid regarding asylum applications in courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18649/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust and rules based, and that our borders are protected.

Legal advice and representation for people in the international protection process in Ireland is provided by the Legal Aid Board (LAB) where required. It is the statutory, independent, body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means in the State and is independent in the exercise of its functions.

Budget 2025 provided a €25m package for end-to-end investment in the immigration system including Service Delivery, International Protection Office, International Protection Appeals Tribunal and the Legal Aid Board.

The funding allocation to the Legal Aid Board for 2024 was approximately €59.1m, which was 11.4 % increase from the 2023 budget of €53.1m. For 2025, there was a further 8.5% increase in the budget allocation for the Legal Aid Board, with an allocation of €64.1m for the year.

The cost of providing legal aid for asylum applications in courts is not currently captured by the Legal Aid Board systems in a manner that makes it retrievable without extensive manual intervention.