Lawyers earn €29.3m through criminal legal aid in 2016

Lawyers earned €29.3 million through the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme last year, The Irish Times reports.

Cahir O’Higgins & Co. Solicitors, headed by high-profile criminal lawyer Cahir O’Higgins, received the highest amount of criminal legal aid payments last year at €464,865 including VAT.

The second highest, at €451,011 including VAT, was received by Michael Staines & Co Solicitors; the third highest, at €447,374 including VAT, by Frank Buttimer & Co. Solicitors.

Michael Bowman SC, who became a senior counsel in 2015, received the most - €478,557 including VAT - of any barrister.

The scheme’s total expenditure for 2016 was €53 million, exceeding its allocated budget of €47.6 million.

The figures were released by the Department of Justice following a Freedom of Information request by The Irish Times.