Solicitor warns of 'exodus' over legal aid fee changes

A solicitor has warned of an "exodus" from the criminal legal aid system, following the introduction of a flat fee rate.

Under the new system, criminal legal aid solicitors will now be paid a flat fee rate of €520 under a 'one accused, one fee' model.

Under the old system, a solicitor was paid for each court appearance by a single person, starting at €239.38 for the first appearance, and then €59.86 for each subsequent hearing.

Yesterday, up to 60 solicitors walked out of Dublin District Court in protest at the new scheme, while a number of solicitors in Cork were understood to have offered their resignations from the legal aid panel.

The President of the Mayo Solicitors' Bar Association said solicitors are upset and disheartened as the system was introduced "without any real meaningful engagement".

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Gary Mulchrone said: "I think it is leading to an exodus, I think it will happen and I think people are really upset and disheartened about the process that is being undertaken and the situation they find themselves in."

He said: "If you’re going to have reform and substantial policy change, it needs to be evidence based and on data, hard facts and talk to the people on the ground, telling you what the problems are".

Mr Mulchrone said there is underinvestment in the probation services, restorative justice and mental health diversion programmes.

He also said that Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan does not have a "good and practical understanding" of what happens in the district court.

"People working in this area are highly skilled, they are dedicated, hardworking and committed professionals… I feel the profession has been denigrated," he said.

He said the minister should have had his department engage with the Law Society.

"I think the lack of engagement has been really startling and surprising," he said.

Speaking on the same programme, Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Justice Matt Carthy said the minister had put a lot of effort into changing the fee system, but "without engagement" with solicitors.

He said while he thinks the district courts should operate more efficiently, he added that he does not know "if the minister's approach is going to improve that. In fact, I fear that it's going to actually worsen it."