Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-15
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Matt Carthy (SF), Cavan-Monaghan

Is the Taoiseach concerned about what is happening in our courts as a result of the debacle in handling criminal legal aid reform? We have seen substantial numbers of solicitors withdraw from the scheme. I am told that the solicitors who have withdrawn provided representation in the majority of cases involving the legal aid scheme last year. More important, we have seen thousands of criminal cases adjourned. We have seen victims turning up to court only to be turned away. They are waiting for justice. We have also seen people who should be in custody today being released on bail. At the same time, we have seen remand numbers increase exponentially, putting huge pressure on the already overstretched Prison Service. Will the Taoiseach ensure that there is dialogue with the stakeholders? Sort this out. We cannot allow the chaos in our courts system to continue over the summer months. Will the Taoiseach ensure that there is real dialogue this week to bring an end to this?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-15