The increase, which follows an unprecedented withdrawal of services by barristers over three days this summer, will come into effect from 1 January 2025.

However, the eight per cent increase — as well as a 10 per cent increase last year — still leaves fees 10.5 per cent below pre-2008 levels, not taking into account inflation and the increased cost-of-living.

The Department of Justice says Helen McEntee is “committed to building on” the progress made this year and last year.

However, hundreds of barristers attending a ‘town hall’ meeting yesterday heard the Bar Council’s disappointment that Budget 2025 did not provide for full restoration nor the reinstatement of the link with public sector pay, which was severed in 2008.

Chairperson Seán Guerin SC said: “While government took the first step in Budget 2024 to restore the cuts that barristers have endured since 2008, the commitment to restore a further eight per cent as announced in Budget 2025 still leaves the professional fees paid to barristers 10.5 per cent below what they should be if we are to be treated fairly and similar to all other groups of workers where the State is the paymaster.

“Even this partial restoration leaves barristers bearing the full brunt of the effects of inflation since 2008.

“We welcome the announcement by the minister for justice to restore the eight per cent cut to criminal barristers’ professional fees after14 years. However, this partial reversal of fee cuts announced as part of Budget 2025 continues to fall short of what criminal practitioners had been expecting.”

He added: “Since July 2024, [justice] minister McEntee, [public expenditure and reform] minister Donohue and indeed the Taoiseach all indicated that an appropriate response would arise from Budget 2025 to the concerns of criminal practitioners.

“There is support across the political spectrum for our reasonable ask of government — full fee restoration and a link to public service pay agreements.”

The Bar Council is seeking to meet Mrs McEntee and her officials to discuss her “clear commitment” to further fee restoration, following which it says it will consult with its membership as to what an appropriate response should be.