Fees for criminal legal aid to rise 8%
Fees for criminal legal aid are to rise by 8% from 1 January 2025, according to the Department of Justice.
A statement from the department issued after Budget 2025 said that the increase would be part of a €9 million increase in the allocation for criminal legal aid.
The department said that Minister Helen McEntee was “committed to building on this progress”.
Barristers’ action
The previous year’s budget had included a 10% increase in fees, but barristers have been calling for the full restoration of cuts made in the wake of the financial crisis.
Criminal barristers earlier this year staged three days of action in which they withdrew their services.
In a pre-budget submission, the Bar of Ireland had called for the restoration of the fees’ link with national wage agreements.
Budget 2025 included a record allocation of €3.9 billion for the justice sector.