The Taoiseach must urgently intervene to prevent further escalation of the dispute over free legal aid fees, which is causing chaos in our criminal courts and delaying victims of crime their right to justice, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon.
Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s justice spokesperson, said:
“As 100 more solicitors resigned from the criminal legal aid panel, all we got from the Minister for Justice was the same megaphone diplomacy and tough talking which have characterised his handling of this dispute from the start.
“Those caught in the crossfire of this row include the victims of violent crime, rape and sexual assault, who are being denied timely access to justice as case after case is adjourned due to the dwindling number of solicitors participating in the free legal aid scheme. It is also undermining a defendant’s right to a fair trial, with free legal aid being a central tenet of our criminal justice system.
“But rather than seeking meaningful engagement with solicitors and the Law Society, Minister O’Callaghan continues to pour petrol on the flames of this dispute by publicly declaring he is not for turning on the issue. Would any other minister be allowed to get away with this by his Government colleagues?
“This controversy will not go away just because the Dáil to about to enter summer recess. I am now calling on the Taoiseach to immediately sideline his Justice Minister and directly intervene to resolve a crisis of the Government’s own making.
“With our criminal courts now on the verge of collapse, we need leadership – not brinkmanship.”
July 14, 2026