Guardians Ad Litem
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-19
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Norma Foley (FF), Kerry

I reiterate that this was signed into law on 19 July 2022. At all times, legal advice will be available to GALs. If there are particular reasons for legal representation, such as its being recommended by the court or the GAL wishing to make an application where a case is particularly complex, it will be provided for. In the main, however, we have to be clear about the role of the GAL. He or she is an expert witness in the court proceedings. That is the bottom line. If, however, a GAL wishes to make an application, legal representation will be provided. It will be provided at all times outside these circumstances. It is interesting to note that until the new legislation was signed into law on 19 July 2022, there was no provision at all for legal representation. Therefore, the current provisions are actually a step forward.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-19/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:40+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-19