Naomi Long

Members of the Immigration Practitioners’ Group (IPG) withdraw services at the beginning of February in a dispute over remuneration.

The withdrawal from 4 February applied to new clients and was extended from 1 March to ongoing cases where a date had not yet been set for a substantive interview.

The IPG will now resume provision of advice and representation in immigration and asylum applications following engagement with the Department.

In a statement, justice minister Naomi Long said: “Legal aid is critical in ensuring rights can be exercised and protections secured. This is particularly the case for immigrants and asylum seekers who can be amongst the most vulnerable in society.

“I welcome this positive step by the IPG who have engaged positively and constructively with the Department.

“The right advice, support and representation at the right time can shape outcomes. It can be determinative in how people respond and manage the challenges they face, how they manage and recover from trauma and how they engage with society and other public services in the future.

“I launched the Enabling Access to Justice programme to ensure we deliver better tailored service at the point of need.

“Effective and experienced legal representation is critical to that objective and fair, proportionate representation is critical to ensuring this is available.

“I have said all along that I am committed to providing fair remuneration and to working with the profession to develop the evidence to support changes to the fee regime.

“Our engagement with the IPG is evidence of that commitment in action and I will continue to work with the professions and other stakeholders as the Enabling Access to Justice programme progresses, to ensure our justice system is sustainable and support remains available for the most vulnerable.”

Sinead Marmion, chair of the IPG, said: “The IPG is pleased with the interim resolution it has reached with the Department of Justice, following recent action it has taken regarding poor and outdated remuneration structures in asylum and immigration cases.

“We look forward to getting back to working for some of the most vulnerable members of our society, who deserve high-quality and expert legal advice and access to justice.

“Going forward, we are committed to working with the Department to ensure long-term, sustainable and equitable solutions for practitioners in this highly complex area of law.”