THE government has earmarked €14.5m to reform the civil legal aid system, with an initial focus on raising the income thresholds for people seeking assistance.
Legal professionals welcomed the funding announced in Budget 2027, but warned that the wider Civil Legal Aid Review remains overdue.
The Bar of Ireland said in its pre-budget submission that eligibility thresholds have “remained static for almost two decades”.
ADVERTISEMENT
It also warned that allowing more people to qualify, without attracting more lawyers or making legal aid fees affordable, could lead to longer delays and make it harder for people to get help.
No funding commitment has yet been made to address those issues. Solicitors across the country, including West Cork’s legal professionals, are currently on strike over the government’s recent introduction of a €520 flat fee per client for criminal legal aid.
The flat fee applies regardless of the number of court appearances or the length of time a case takes.
In Budget 2027, the justice, home affairs and migration budget has an overall total of €5.9bn.
Other measures include €5.3m for initiatives tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, including additional funding for Cuan, the agency tasked with addressing them.
Further funding was given to recruit up to 1,000 trainee gardaí, bringing the force to more than 15,000 by 2027.
The Prison Service will receive €75m, mainly for recruitment and overtime payments.
The Courts Service is allocated an additional €13.5m, including €10m for judicial recruitment and €1.7m for interpretation, translation and support for vulnerable witnesses.
Youth justice initiatives will receive a further €11.5m.
And a €2.18bn justice capital programme for 2026–2030 will fund prison places, Garda infrastructure, court buildings and digital systems.
The sum includes more than 1,500 additional prison spaces by 2031 and investment in new courthouses.
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.
