“We know that trust around the world in public institutions is under strain. It is important that as political leaders and policy makers, we drive reform to rebuild the public’s confidence in a number of ways.

“I am delighted to participate in this global roundtable, both to present Ireland’s efforts to maintain and further build trust in our justice institutions, and to hear the many similar contributions from international colleagues.

“Collectively, our efforts are central to advancing a shared vision of justice that builds trust and supports broader social and economic resilience.

“Positively, the OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions from 2024 notes that the Irish population has a relatively high level of trust in our courts and judicial system (70%). However, we cannot become complacent, especially in a globalised digital world.

“Earlier this month, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan noted the initial findings of Ireland’s first Legal Needs Survey, which was supported by the OECD, in partnership with the World Justice Project and funded by the European Union.

“These findings provide important insights into how people deal with a range of justice problems that they face in everyday life. The insights from this survey will also serve to inform people-centred service design going forward, aligning with the Department’s vision of a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland.”

“Improving access to justice – a simpler, more understandable and more responsive justice – is a priority and a key policy focus for my department.

“Many reforms are currently being progressed that focus on various aspects of access to justice, including promoting early resolution of disputes, reducing the cost of litigation, and creating a more responsive and appropriate system, all ultimately with the aim of ensuring better outcomes for justice service users.

“My department is fully committed to reforming the family justice system in Ireland through implementation of the Family Justice Strategy 2022-2025 and continues to support our Courts Service as it progresses an ambitious 10-year Modernisation Programme to deliver digitally enabled services designed around the user.

“We are also increasing judicial numbers in order to meet the growing demands on our justice system and to further reduce the long waiting times across the courts.

"The Irish government has provided additional funding of €8 million for 2026 to the Legal Aid Board, a key part of Ireland’s access to justice provision. This increase of 12.5% in funding will support a programme of modernisation and increased access to justice for clients of the Board, which administers the Civil Legal Aid Scheme.”