I wish to speak today about the proposed reforms to the criminal legal aid system, which include the introduction of a flat fee payment model for legally aided District Court cases. It is proposed that solicitors would receive a single payment of €455 for District Court criminal cases, regardless of the number of court appearances involved. Members of Criminal Justice Solicitors Ireland have raised serious concerns and are urgently seeking engagement on this matter. They have already begun withdrawing service from certain aspects of criminal legal aid work until further notice. This will have a detrimental impact on the operation of courts and the administration of justice. Further engagement must be opened as a matter of urgency. I have spoken to solicitors in Wexford and Wicklow who have told me of one case where a solicitor made as many as 27 appearances on behalf of one client. How is this a reasonable payment for that level of work?

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