76. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will outline measures to improve access to legal aid services for people in rural areas of Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35792/26]

The Legal Aid Board (LAB) is the statutory body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 (“the 1995 Act”) and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2021. Section 3(3) of the 1995 Act states that the Board shall, subject to the provisions of the Act, be independent in the exercise of its functions.

Civil legal aid and advice is provided primarily through a network of law centres by solicitors employed by the Legal Aid Board. The Legal Aid Board also engages private solicitors and barristers to provide services in certain instances. I am informed that the Legal Aid Board has had a presence in Castlebar, Co. Mayo since 1985 and that it opened a new co-located Law & Family Mediation Centre in Cavendish House, Castlebar. The establishment of a co-located centre in Castlebar reflects the Board's commitment to putting mediation at the heart of its service delivery model; consistent with its national strategy and the approach being rolled out in new law centres across the country. The Centre provides legal advice and aid services to those who qualify in several areas including family law, childcare, assisted decision making, victim representation and other civil matters under the 1995 Act.

I was pleased to announce, as part of Budget 2026 measures for the justice sector, and as outlined in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2026, additional funding of €8.973 million has been made available for the Legal Aid Board in 2026, bringing its total allocation for the year to €73 million. This increase of 14% in funding will support a programme of modernisation and increased access to justice for clients of the Board.

Having a civil legal aid scheme and a Legal Aid Board which is equipped to meet the changing needs of society is critical to ensuring access to justice, particularly for those who have very modest means.  In June 2022, a Civil Legal Aid Review Group under the chairmanship of former Chief Justice Frank Clarke, SC, was established to review the current operation of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme. The outputs of the review were published in July 2025 and contained several recommendations aiming to improve access to legal aid.

The recommendations from the Review will also have to be considered with due regard to the findings from Ireland’s first legal needs survey, conducted in 2025 with the support of the European Commission and the OECD. This survey will provide invaluable insights into the extent of legal need in Ireland. While preliminary results of the survey have been released, further analysis is underway, with the Department working closely with the OECD on final outputs.

I have asked my officials to examine the recommendations of the review and engage as necessary with stakeholders as part of that process.