The Fianna Fáil TD, who called to the Bar in 1993 and became a senior counsel in 2008, was named last week as minister for justice, home affairs and migration in the new government.

The Department of Justice has said that Mr O’Callaghan will not be practising as a barrister while serving in the post.

Some senior barristers are hopeful that the new minister will oversee a swift restoration of criminal legal aid fees to pre-2008 levels, as promised in the new programme for government.

Other practitioners, however, remain sceptical and have called on the Bar Council to continue to apply pressure on the government through strike action along the lines of the unprecedented withdrawal of services over three days last summer.

In a statement on Friday night, Bar Council chairperson Séan Guerin SC said Mr O’Callaghan’s “understanding of issues of justice, not only at a practical and policy level as a member of the government benches for the past number of years, but also at a vocational level, is a strong basis to continue the work of improving the administration of justice in Ireland”.

“Minister O’Callaghan’s record of achievement as a legislator, in particular in securing the enactment of the Parole Act 2019 as a private members’ bill to put the informal Parole Board on a statutory basis as an independent statutory entity and, for the first time, to allow the victims of crime to be heard in respect of the process as to whether parole should be granted, speaks for itself,” he said.

“The Bar of Ireland looks forward to working with the minister on key reform priorities.”

He added: “It is heartening to see that our justice manifesto priorities have found expression within the programme for government, not least the issue of restoration of criminal legal aid fees.

“This is an urgent priority for the Council, and a clear pathway to full restoration of cuts imposed, including the restoration of the link with public sector pay increments, is urgently required.

“The same issue arises in relation to civil legal aid and civil State work, and this will be a matter for discussion.

“The Bar of Ireland will be seeking a meeting with Minister to advance these priorities.”

Other government commitments, such as the establishment of a dedicated Medical Negligence Court and a new Immigration Division of the High Court, will “require careful analysis and consultation”, he added.

Mr Guerin also paid tribute to the outgoing justice minister, Helen McEntee, who held the role from 2020.

“Minister McEntee can look back on her time in the Department of Justice with satisfaction, knowing that she was responsible for significant reform and progress on a number of fronts,” he said.

“Her ability to secure progress on the long-outstanding issue of criminal legal aid fees is a testament to her appreciation of the importance of access to justice for all and of the essential role played by the independent referral Bar in the administration of justice.

“I wish her well in her new role as minister for education and youth. The future of the legal profession, as with so much of the modern Irish economy, depends on the quality and breadth of educational attainment of our young people, whatever their background.”