Not enough solicitors for domestic violence cases - FLAC

Ireland is experiencing "legal aid deserts," especially in cases of domestic violence, as private practitioners withdraw from the Legal Aid Board's panel, according to the Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC). Eilis Barry, FLAC's Chief Executive, stated on RTÉ's Morning Ireland that this exodus of solicitors has created significant barriers for individuals seeking legal assistance.

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But that figure more reflects our capacity to answer callers than the extent of need, because we can see that our line received 66,371 calls during 2025. And that would include a number of repeat calls from people who are desperate to access legal information.

FLAC's telephone information line handled a record number of queries in 2025, receiving 66,371 calls and answering 14,103 queries. This figure represents the highest volume since 2015, though Barry emphasized it reflects FLAC's capacity rather than the full extent of need. Among the answered queries, 635 related to domestic violence, with family law remaining the most common area of inquiry.

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But what callers are reporting to us is that they're unable to access a family law solicitor from the Legal Aid Board's private practitioner panel in relation to domestic violence claims, even though they've been approved for and entitled to legal aid.

Barry highlighted a critical gap: individuals approved for legal aid for domestic violence cases are struggling to find available solicitors on the Legal Aid Board's private practitioner panel. This forces them to rely on the Board's salaried solicitors, leading to extensive waiting times. For example, waits can reach 60 weeks in Sligo, 55 weeks in Ennis, and 48 weeks in Ballymun and Navan. Barry noted that these "legal aid deserts" in civil cases, particularly for domestic violence, have not received the same attention as similar issues in criminal legal aid.

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There's been a silent but very definite exodus of practitioners from the legal aid private practitioner panel, which means then that people, for example, experiencing domestic violence have to wait to see the Legal Aid Board's own solicitors, and there's huge waits of 60 weeks, for example, in Sligo, 55 weeks in Ennis, 48 in Ballymun and Navan.

The situation is exacerbated by recent changes to the payment model for criminal legal aid solicitors, which has led to approximately 55 solicitors resigning from that panel. This shift, moving from a per-appearance fee to a flat fee of €520 per case, has caused significant concern among practitioners. Barry stressed the broader issue of access to justice and the courts, implying that the current system is failing many vulnerable individuals.

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So, the legal aid deserts are here in domestic violence, and it's a shame that that hasn't achieved kind of equal attention as the issues in relation to criminal legal aid.