Demand for legal aid services increases

The Legal Aid Board has reported a significant increase in demand for legal services, with a three-month waiting list reported for its services in the Ennis area.

Last Wednesday, the board, which provides civil legal aid and advice to those on lower incomes through its nationwide network of law centres, published its 2009 annual report and accounts.
The report shows that the Legal Aid Board received 14,073 applications for civil legal aid and advice in 2009, a rise of 18% on the previous year.
This equated to a 45% increase in the number of applications received by the board between 2006 and 2009 and the rate of increase has shown no sign of abating to date in 2010.
In total, the board’s law centres processed 16,170 cases in 2009, up over 8% on 2008, while there were an additional 4,012 cases referred out to private practitioners, up 34% on the previous year.
According to a spokesperson for the board, it is believed that this sustained increase in demand is being driven by the economic downturn in the first instance, which has meant that a greater number of people are now satisfying the means test allowing them to avail of the board’s legal services.
Secondly, it believes there is a greater need for legal services during times of economic distress, particularly in areas such as family law, debt and employment.
The board also offers legal services for those seeking asylum through its Refugee Legal Service and according to the report, this service was the only area of the board’s operations that did not see an increase in applications last year. It recorded a drop of almost 29% in new clients in 2009, to 2,298. This was reported as being consistent with the falling number of asylum applications in the State in recent years.
Commenting on the report, the chairperson of the Legal Aid Board, Anne Colley, said the board is one of those public services where the impact of the downturn in the economy is most felt. 
“The noticeable challenge now faced by the board in delivering services is the fact that this surge in applications has occurred at a time when our resources, in common with other public service organisations, have been depleted. The board has, nonetheless, managed to ensure that waiting times for an appointment with a solicitor has been maintained within our target time of four months in the bulk of our centres,” she said. 
The board’s chief executive, Dr Moling Ryan, also acknowledged that the increase in demand experienced has put considerable pressure on the board’s capacity to deliver a timely service at some of its law centres. However, he stressed, “The board is continuously reviewing its operations and processes and seeking to be innovative with a view to continuing to provide a professional service in the face of ever-increasing demand and where increased staffing is not available.”
The board also welcomed the recent announcement by the Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, that the Legal Aid Board would be assuming responsibility for the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme in the near future. For more information about the services offered by the board, visit www.legalaidboard.ie