The 10 per cent increase in fees for criminal barristers and solicitors working in criminal free legal aid cases announced in this week’s Budget will be built upon in the coming years, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has pledged.
A total of €9 million was allowed in the budget to begin restoring criminal legal aid fees allowing a 10 per cent increase in early 2024.
It followed a series of protests by barristers over the past year culminating in a daylong dispute earlier this month, when they withdrew their services for a day.
The Department of Justice has also undertaken to continue discussing what it called a “further strengthening” of criminal legal aid in the future.
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“This is a long, ongoing issue for many barristers and solicitors,” said Ms McEntee on Wednesday.
“I want to make sure that we have as fair a fee structure as possible moving forward [and] building on the 10 per cent increase agreed for the Budget next year.
“Both my department and I will engage with different representative organisations to look at the overall structure, the types of fees that are paid, the type of work that is done and how it is paid out.
Ms McEntee also specifically said that issues such as delays in payments would also be examined.
Ms McEntee was speaking at a press conference where she announced details of the Budget 2024 provisions for her Department.
The overall allocation to her Department for 2024 is €3.27 billion in current expenditure plus €274 million for capital projects. There is a €2.3 billion budget for An Garda Síochána, representing an increase of €172 million for 2024 compared to 2023.
Asked at the conference if she was confident that the Gardaí could recruit an additional 800 to 1,000 new members in 2024, she said that there would be five classes graduating from Templemore and was confident the target would be achieved.
“Money will not be the issue here as far as I am concerned, to make sure the numbers come through.”
She pointed to the most recent recruitment campaign for the Garda where 5,00 people applied. She also said she was working with the Commissioner, Drew Harris, to increase the upper age limit for entry, which stands at 35 at present.
“People are living longer and are healthier for longer,” she said.
She also said that she hoped the additional resources to the Garda Reserve would bring its numbers up from its current levels of 360. She admitted the numbers were lower than she would like them to be. At one point, there were 1,400 members of the Reserve but the numbers have been low in recent years with no recruitment campaigns.
Asked about the heavy security presence around Leinster House for Budget Day on Tuesday, Ms McEntee said she would not like to see the security barriers that were erected this week to become a permanent feature around the Oireachtas buildings.
“We have a parliament that is accessible to people. Whether you’re a politician or whether you’re working in Leinster House, you can come and go in a much easier way than you see in other countries.
“An Garda responded to what they felt was a need following (the protests on Kildare Street the previous week). I think we need to send a message that that type of behaviour is something that is not tolerated.”
