Local business feeling impact of legal aid row

The ongoing legal aid dispute is not only causing disruption in the courts, it is also impacting commercially on a number of local businesses.

A majority of solicitors working in criminal legal aid across the country have been in dispute with Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan since a new €520 flat-fee payment for legal aid cases was introduced. The Minister introduced the changes on July 1st last but solicitors’ opposition to the proposed changes and subsequent industrial action first began on June 17th.

The Circuit Court and District Court in Mayo has effectively ground to a halt since the dispute began with very few cases proceeding in the county.

The first jury trial since February was heard in Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court this week. The remainder have not proceeded, and hundreds of cases have been adjourned since June.

Castlebar publican Gerry Tolster has been providing meals to jurors on behalf of the Courts Service for around 20 years.

His pub at Spencer Street, which is located a short distance from Castlebar Courthouse, has been impacted by the ongoing dispute and strike action.

“When the court is sitting we would usually have a jury in here at least four to five times a week. Since June, there were four weeks when we should have had the juries in and that’s continued in the last few weeks. Of course, it has affected the business,” said Gerry.

He said the situation has created uncertainty for him and his staff with scores of cases listed for trial adjourned. Solicitors, Gardaí, civilian witnesses and others attending the court would also use Tolster's, so the impact has been huge.

“I have staff on standby; I have food on standby,” said Gerry. “I have no control over what happens next door. All I can do is follow the instructions I am given. It’s between themselves what’s going on. I am just trying to keep my staff on the payroll and that’s it,” he added.

Judge Eoin Garavan remarked at a previous court sitting that the current upheaval is "akin to Covid", but even during the pandemic Gerry and his staff were feeding jurors.

“We brought the food out to them in certain designated areas of the courthouse. We brought the hot food out to them and kept them going and they did likewise for us,” said Gerry.

He has been watching for developments in the dispute.

“I have two ears and one mouth so I just listen first! I don’t comment. It’s up to the parties involved to sort it out," remarked the well-regarded publican.

• Published as part of the Courts Reporting Scheme.