Minister and solicitors meet over legal aid dispute

Updated / Wednesday, 28 Oct 2026 09:11

Minister for Justice Jim O Callaghan and solicitors' representatives from the Law Society of Ireland are to meet at the Department of Justice over the ongoing criminal legal aid payment scheme dispute.

The meeting, which begins at 9am, is expected to last for at least an hour, although it is unclear what concessions either side will be willing to make today.

Solicitors have objected to the new payment scheme for legal aid cases introduced on 1 July.

This provided for a flat fee of €520 per accused instead of the previous system which had been based on the number of court appearances.

Minister O'Callaghan has said key reforms are needed to the existing payments scheme.

Some solicitors, who have withdrawn services in some cases, say the new payment system does not take account of more complex cases, which at times require multiple court appearances.

The judge presiding over the Central Criminal Court, Mr Justice Paul McDermott, has raised significant concerns over the impact of the dispute, particularly on the hearing of highly sensitive cases.

Yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he is "not instructing" Minister O'Callaghan to resolve the dispute, but that all sides need to "engage" and that reforms are needed to the existing scheme.

A number of solicitors involved in the dispute have said they welcome today's meeting and say they believe a resolution to what Mr Justice McDermott called this "prolonged dispute" is in reach.