Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
716. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide a list, by county, of named solicitors who are currently on criminal legal aid panels, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36596/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSolicitors may apply to be placed on the Criminal Legal Aid panel for any county using a single application form, which is processed by a centralised courts office in Castlebar, Co. Mayo. This system, introduced in 2021, replaced the previous requirement to apply separately to individual local court offices.
My Department significantly simplified the procedures for Criminal Legal Aid panel membership both for solicitors and counsel last year by waiving the requirement to apply yearly to be retained on panels, with the commencement on 26 November 2025 of S.I. 539 of 2025.
While there is only one national Criminal Legal Aid Panel, solicitors may indicate specific counties where they are willing to provide representation however, this does not preclude the solicitor from providing representation in other counties. As the panel is considered national, information is not recorded in a manner that provides for a ‘by county’ breakdown.
The table below sets out the number of solicitors assigned to the Criminal Legal Aid Panel from 2021 to 2025.
|
Year |
No of Solicitors |
|
2021 |
933 |
|
2022 |
867 |
|
2023 |
672 |
|
2024 |
695 |
|
2025 |
825 |
