Legal aid cuts should be reversed as economy improves

Cuts to legal aid should be reversed as the Irish economy recovers, solicitors and barristers have re-affirmed.

Ken Murphy, director general of the Law Society of Ireland, told the Irish Examiner that solicitors’ fees have been cut by 28.5 per cent between 2009-11.

He said: “We recognised the disastrous state of the public finances at the time and reluctantly, but public-spiritedly accepted the cuts without protest, but we did so on the basis that when the public finances improved those cuts would have to be restored.”

Mr Murphy added: “We don’t expect full restoration of all cuts overnight, but it has to commence.”

The Bar of Ireland has said barristers accepted pay cuts ranging from 28.5 per cent to 69 per cent as a result of economic pressure.

The Department of Justice has said it has “no plans at present to revise fees paid to practitioners under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme”.