Press release
Criminal legal aid fees increase comes into effect
Published on
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Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has announced that an 8% increase in fees paid to barristers and solicitors under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme will come into effect today (Wednesday), as announced in Budget 2025 on 1 October. This represents an increase of €9 million in funding for criminal legal aid and is in addition to the 10% increase secured in Budget 2024.
Speaking about the increase, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said:
“I am delighted to have been able to make further progress in restoring criminal legal aid fees. The past two years have seen an 18% increase in the fees paid under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme to ensure that the vital profession of criminal law remains attractive to the legal profession.
“I would like to express my appreciation for the ongoing co-operation of the Bar Council and Law Society with my department and look forward to continued engagement with both representative bodies, and all stakeholders, on the reform of Criminal Legal Aid, including the modernisation and funding structure of the scheme. This continued engagement is essential to ensuring we have an effective legal system.”
Minister Helen McEntee published the General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Bill 2023 in July 2023.
The Bill seeks to modernise the operation of the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, transferring administrative responsibility from the Department of Justice to the Legal Aid Board and introducing strengthened oversight and governance structures for criminal legal aid.
A dedicated team in the department is engaging with all relevant stakeholders, including the legal professions, on the modernisation and funding structure of criminal legal aid, and are currently laying the foundations for an improved, more efficient system of administering criminal legal aid.