Dramatic fall in legal aid cases heard in Kildare court
Solicitors say many people have been left without access to justice
There has been a dramatic reduction in the number of criminal legal aid certificates being granted by the Kildare District Court offices following the introduction of the new Criminal Legal Aid Scheme in July.
In the Naas area, the number of certificates granted fell from 315 in July 2025 to 17 in July 2026.
However some solicitors were working at Naas District Court this week.
The figures provided to the Law Society of Ireland, which represents solicitors, show that 702 criminal legal aid certificates were granted nationally in July 2026, compared with 10,277 in July 2025, a 93% reduction of certificates.
The figures cover legal aid certificates granted in the district court, district court appeals and matters sent forward for trial. Importantly, the July 2026 figures include certificates granted under both the old and new Criminal Legal Aid Scheme.
The scale of the reduction is reflected in courts across the country. In Cork city, 579 certificates were granted in July 2025, compared with just 18 in July 2026. In Galway, the number fell from 320 to 5, while in Limerick certificates fell from 396 to 169. In Dublin, 3,344 certificates were granted at the Criminal Courts of Justice in July 2025, compared with 60 in July 2026. At Cloverhill, certificates fell from 346 to 25, while at the Children’s Court they fell from 128 to nine.
The Law Society says the figures reflect the impact that the current dispute, about the new Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, is having on access to justice and demonstrate the need for the Scheme to be re-examined.
Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, has said that the criminal courts are operating “effectively” despite the ongoing dispute over the new legal aid scheme. These figures raise serious questions about that assessment and demonstrate the need for the scheme to be examined against what is happening in courts across the country.
The new scheme came into effect on July 1 2026. The Law Society has consistently said that reform of criminal legal aid is necessary and overdue, but that the new model does not adequately reflect the reality, complexity or duration of criminal cases.
It says it has identified two targeted changes which it believes would address the principal remaining concerns with the Scheme: ensuring that separate and distinct criminal cases are treated separately where appropriate and providing an additional certificate where a case extends beyond ten court appearances.
The operation of the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme should continue to be assessed against evidence from courts and practitioners across the country.
Jennifer O’Sullivan, President of the Kildare Bar Association, said: “The figures provided by the Courts Service are deeply concerning and demonstrate the scale of the reduction in criminal legal aid certificates since the new scheme came into effect. As a direct result of the new scheme introduced by the Minister for Justice, the criminal justice system in Kildare is under significant pressure.
“Access to legal representation is a fundamental part of ensuring that the criminal justice system operates fairly and effectively. Solicitors in Kildare are seeing first-hand the impact that the new scheme is having on the provision of criminal legal aid, leaving many without access to justice.
“These figures should prompt an urgent review of how the scheme is operating in courts across the country. We would encourage the Minister and the Department of Justice to listen to the experience of practitioners on the ground and to take practical steps to ensure that access to justice is protected. The Law Society remains available to engage with the Minister and the Department of Justice on the announced review and on practical measures which could make the Scheme workable in the interim.”