Jim O’Callaghan

The minister met representatives of the society yesterday after solicitors escalated their strike action last week. Most criminal legal aid solicitors have withdrawn their services since July, when a new flat fee of €520 per case was introduced.

A Department of Justice statement said both sides had agreed to “a short, focused engagement between their representatives over the next week, commencing this Friday”.

The discussions would explore “areas for adjustments within the scheme to address the concerns being raised by practitioners”, while preserving the reforms’ aim of speeding up cases and improving the operation of the District Court.

The number of criminal legal aid invoices issued for work carried out in August and September fell by 80 per cent year on year, from more than 13,400 in 2025 to 2,649 this year.

Solicitors object to receiving a single €520 fee when clients face separate cases brought before the court on the same day. They also argue that the payment fails to cover cases requiring more than five hearings, and want to be able to claim additional fees after a specified number of appearances.

The Law Society said addressing these concerns would “resolve the key concerns of criminal defence solicitors”.

Its delegation, including president Rosemarie Loftus and Criminal Law Committee chair Dr Shane McCarthy, told the minister the dispute was having “a real and significant impact on the administration of justice”.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said further discussions between the society and department officials were expected this week, expressing hope that they would provide a “pathway to a resolution”.

He acknowledged last week that the dispute had disrupted the criminal justice system, particularly Dublin District Court hearings, although he said the scheme was working well in other districts.

The Law Society said both sides had agreed that a resolution was needed without delay, alongside further time-bound engagement, and pledged to continue working constructively with the minister and his officials.