International Protection Bill 2026: Committee Stage
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-18
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

I want to ensure that the legal counselling that is being provided will be very adequate. I believe it will be adequate. It will reflect the definitions that are contained within Deputy Kelly's amendment, as is set out in the administrative procedure regulation. That is the information I have for Deputy Kelly.
On Deputy Carthy's amendment specifically, I cannot accept it. It places too great an obligation on me to ensure that it is legal advice by practitioners being provided. I note the point that Deputy Carthy's amendment allows counselling to be provided by "a person employed by the Legal Aid Board who is authorised to provide legal advice or representation". I want to be more specific in what I am doing. I do not want to find myself being tied in by the definition that is set out there.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:39+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-18