Lengthy legal aid waiting list in Dundalk

NEW figures have shown there were 58 people waiting to access the free legal aid services in Dundalk at the beginning of July.

The statistics were released to Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan by the Legal Aid Board last week..

They were released following a request from Louth TD Gerry Adams, and showed that on July 1st, there were 58 local applicants who had still not received the first consultation.

The longest wait for an appointment was one applicant who faced a 17 week delay in being granted access to the service.

The figures also showed the extent to which legal aid is used in Dundalk.

The board confirmed that 988 people have availed of free legal aid since 2014.

This consisted of 275 people on 2014, a further 277 the following year, a total of 263 people in 2016 and 173 people in the first six months of 2017.

The figures for Dundalk were compared to 625 people who availed of free legal aid in Drogheda during the same time frame.

Applications for legal aid are open to those who cannot afford to pay a solicitor privately. Legal aid provides legal advice and representation in court.

Legal aid for criminal court cases is granted by a judge, whereas the service for those who are involved in civil cases is decided iupon by the Legal Aid board.

To find out more about the service, see the website www.legalaidboard.ie