Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1498. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if details on a series of matters (details supplied) will be provided in relation to the total amount expended by the State on legal aid or legal representation for individuals applying for asylum or international protection provided in each of the years from 2015 to 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45007/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Legal Aid Board is the statutory 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 to 2021.

Section 3(3) of the Act provides that the Board shall, subject to the provisions of the Act, be independent in the exercise of its functions. However, to be of assistance to the Deputy I have had enquiries made with the Legal Aid Board on foot of which the following information is provided.

Civil legal aid and advice is provided primarily through a network of law centres by solicitors employed by the Legal Aid Board. There are 34 full time and 3 part-time law centres and specialised units. Specific law centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway currently include an international protection speciality. International protection is one of many services provided by those law centres. The Legal Aid Board also engages private solicitors to provide services in international protection cases. A substantial portion of the Board’s international protection cases are handled by private practitioners.

On introduction of the single application procedure following the enactment of the International Protection Act 2015, the Board established and maintains a panel of solicitors who are willing to provide: advice and/or representation in relation to an application under the International Protection Act 2015; and for all relevant matters covered by the International Protection Act 2015, the Refugee Act 1996 and the Immigration Act 1999.

Since 2017, referrals to private solicitors have occurred at the outset of the international protection process to ensure applicants receive legal advice at the earliest stage. Prior to the commencement of the Act, referrals more typically took place at the appeals stage. The Legal Aid Board also engages barristers through its law centres to provide services in international protection cases.

Table 1 provides a breakdown of the annual expenditure (not including pay or operational costs) from 2019 to 2024 in relation to the provision of legal aid and advice in international protection, as provided by the Legal Aid Board. It is broken down by expenditure for private solicitors contracted through the Legal Aid Boards, Solicitors Panel for International Protection Matters and for barristers retained from the International Protection Barristers Sub panel as well as related service delivery costs such as expert medical reports, translations and interpreter services.

Please note that it is not possible to provide comparable information before 2019 due to the different accounting practices used at this time.

Table 2 provides the total number of applications for legal services related to international protection in each of those years. The Legal Aid Board cannot break down the applications for legal services received by the stage of the international protection application as one application for legal services by an international protection applicant could in turn cover each stage of the process as an applicant’s case progresses. The Legal Aid Board has noted that they generally do not provide legal aid services for judicial review proceedings.

Table 3 provides the number of referrals to the International Protection Solicitors Panel per year. The Legal Aid Board has indicated that within the timeframe of the request it was not possible to provide a list of the solicitors and barristers who received payments for legal services during that period and the total amount paid to each named provider annually. The Legal Aid Board has indicated that a request for information relating to third parties would have to be considered in line with their obligations under section 37 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2014.

Tables 4 A, B & C provides the current schedule of standard fees payable to solicitors on the Boards Solicitors Panel for International Protection matters. These fees are for applications made under the International Protection Act 2015 are broken down into the category of legal work.