Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has likened Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan to “Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s” amid the dispute over the new legal aid payments scheme.
Yesterday, one hundred more Dublin-based solicitors said they would resign immediately from the Criminal Legal Aid panel in protest over changes to the system.
Under the old system, a solicitor was paid for each court appearance by a single person, starting at €239.38 for the first appearance, and then €59.86 for each subsequent hearing
The new system replaces that with a €520 flat fee.
Minister O’Callaghan has previously said he was “not for turning” when it came to implementing the new system.
Yesterday, he insisted he would not revoke the new legal aid fees system and would not bow to political pressure on the issue, however he added that he reserved the right to make “tweaks” to it.
Speaking at Leinster House, Mr Gannon said what is happening within the criminal justice system “should never be seen as tolerable”.
“The decision taken by the Minister for Justice, a unilateral decision, has resulted in our system of criminal legal aid and justice effectively grinding to a halt.
“We have seen now countless number of adjournments of delays within our court systems.
“Those delays have implications, very serious ones, for victims of crime.”
Mr Gannon said he would be raising the issue as much as possible and called on Minister O’Callaghan to “get back into the room” with the Law Society to try find common ground.
“The Law Society has made some suggestions, but rather Jim O’Callaghan is talking about ‘not being for turning’ and as if he’s Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, like come on, this is too serious,” he added.