73. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on whether the proposed changes to the criminal legal aid system risks delaying justice for victims and witnesses; and the updates, if any, on the changes to the scheme. [49883/26]

I welcome the opportunity to explain the changes to the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme in the District Court that I signed into law on Monday and that will come into effect on Wednesday 1 July. At the outset, I would like to acknowledge the critical role played by the legal professions in the effective administration of criminal justice and that Criminal Legal Aid is essential in upholding the right to a legal defence.

I have progressed the Programme for Government commitments in relation to Criminal Legal Aid, of which there are three. The first is to reform the operation of the criminal legal aid scheme. The second is to restore the fees which were cut during the economic crisis. And the third is to enact the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Bill. The changes I am making to the fee structure address the first two commitments and I intend to progress the new legislation over the next year. The Bill will reform the overall system of legal aid; strengthening the provisions around eligibility and transferring responsibility for the operation of the system to the Legal Aid Board.

The reform of the criminal legal aid fee structure in the District Court will not affect the ability of legal professionals to engage in criminal legal aid work. Neither is it intended to reduce the cost to the State of providing criminal legal aid. Rather, it will improve efficiencies, reduce unnecessary adjournments, simplify the administration of criminal legal aid, speed up case resolution and enable faster payments to practitioners. I expect that the improved efficiency and effectiveness of the system will be to the benefit of victims and witnesses.

I can assure the Deputy that my officials will keep the operation of the new system under review over the coming months. This will allow any emerging issues to be identified without delay and addressed where necessary. The objective of these reforms is to provide a fair, sustainable and efficient framework for the delivery of criminal legal aid while maintaining access to high-quality legal representation.