Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026 [Seanad]: Second Stage
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-16
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Ruairí Ó Murchú (SF), Louth

I had the privilege of being in Dundalk District Court this morning to hear incredibly warm and deserved tributes to the late solicitor and senior counsel, James MacGuill, who died unexpectedly on 6 September. James, as many will know, was a titan of the legal profession, not just in Louth or the State but across Europe. In many ways, he was passionate about the rule of law but he also rewrote the rules himself at times with cases he brought to the highest courts in the State and Europe, which meant that legislation had to be changed. He is a terrible loss first and foremost to his family but also to his many friends in the legal profession and further afield. I extend my deepest sympathies to them on this terrible loss.
While I was at the District Court today, I saw the impact of the current row between solicitors and the Minister for justice over the changes to criminal legal aid. I saw that the many talented solicitors who grace the District Court in Dundalk were only dealing with custody cases, all the other cases being adjourned to 18 November or even January. Yet, the Minister for justice is telling the public that the criminal courts are functioning effectively. It was clear to see they are not. Behind each of these numbers is a defendant without representation, a victim whose wait for justice keeps getting put back, gardaí wanting to bring a case to a conclusion and many others who are directly impacted.
The figures that show the collapse of the criminal legal aid certs issued from July 2025 to July 2026 are stark. In Dundalk, in July 2025 there were 329 certificates issued and this July, just 19 were issued, representing a 94.2% drop, which is huge. These figures are replicated at district courts around the State. What is needed is proper engagement and for solicitors and the Minister for justice to get around a table and sort this out.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:48+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-16