People on low incomes are waiting up to 15 months for appointments with solicitors in the State's law centres, new figures show.
The Free Legal Aid Centre (FLAC) yesterday said the delays meant hundreds of people were being "denied" justice, especially those seeking separation or divorce, and were being forced to represent themselves in court.
The Legal Aid Board, which runs the State's 30 law centres, provides low-cost legal aid and advice in civil cases for people on modest, means-tested incomes. FLAC's executive director, Ms Catherine Hickey, said delays were increasing and called on the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to increase the legal aid budget.
"Waiting times are consistently increasing and according to Legal Aid Board statistics at the end of December 2003, clients faced a wait of eight months or more to see a solicitor at 12 law centres out of 30 around the country," Ms Hickey said.
The figures show clients faced the longest wait for services, 15.75 months, at North Brunswick Street Law Centre in Dublin.
Delays were also found to be substantial at Cork's Pope's Quay Centre (14 months), Portlaoise (13 months), Ennis (12 months) and Navan (12 months). Another nine centres have waiting times of between eight and 11 months.
Ms Hickey said the Legal Aid Board could find itself in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires State agencies to exercise their functions in a manner compatible with the Convention.
It also says there is no prospect of an improvement in services due to an "alarming" shortage of funds for the Legal Aid Board.
The board's budget increased by 5 per cent, from €17.5 million to €18.4 million, this year.
However, FLAC says much of this increase may be taken up with benchmarking payments. "It is unacceptable that the cost of benchmarking is translating into a cut in services for people in receipt of social welfare payments and on low incomes.
"This paltry increase shows a lack of commitment by the Government to investing in civil legal aid," FLAC said in a statement.
The board's director of legal aid, Mr Frank Brady, has also in the past expressed disappointment at the level of State funding which, he said, had led to delays in recruiting staff to fill vacancies. Last year the director said the board would not be taking Circuit Court cases until this month or next.
