(LRC Revised)

Number 32 of 1995

CIVIL LEGAL AID ACT 1995

REVISED

Updated to 24 June 2026

Changes to legislation

as of 10 July 2026, this Act is up to date with all changes known to be in force.

This Revised Act is an

administrative consolidation of the

Civil Legal Aid Act 1995

. It is prepared by

the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the

Law Reform

Commission Act 1975

(3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake

revision and consolidation of statute law.

All Acts up to and including the

Air Pollution (Amendment) Act 2026

(14/2026), enacted 18 June 2026, and all statutory instruments up

to and including the

Civil Legal Aid (Tribunal for Asylum and Returns Appeals) Order 2026

(S.I. No. 292 of 2026), made 24 June 2026, were considered in the preparation of

this Revised Act.

Disclaimer: While every care has

been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume

no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning

the

accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not

accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify

any

errors, omissions and comments by email to revisedacts@lawreform.ie.

Number

32

of

1995

CIVIL LEGAL AID ACT

1995

REVISED

Updated to

24 June 2026

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Section

1.

Interpretation.

2.

Establishment day.

3.

Establishment of Legal Aid

Board.

4.

Membership of Board and terms

of office of members.

5.

Functions of Board.

6.

Conferral of additional

functions on Board.

7.

General policy directives as

to legal aid and advice.

8.

Powers of Board.

9.

Reports of Board.

10.

Chief Executive of

Board.

10A.

Accountability of Chief

Executive to Public Accounts Committee.

10B.

Accountability of Chief

Executive to other Oireachtas Committees.

11.

Staff of Board.

11A.

Appointment of persons to provide family mediation services or training in relation

to such services.

11B.

Appointment of persons to provide legal counselling or training in relation to such

services.

12.

Membership of either House of

Oireachtas or of European Parliament.

13.

Dissolution of former

Board.

14.

Transfer of assets and

liabilities of former Board.

15.

Preservation of certain

continuing contracts and adaptation of references to former

Board.

16.

Saving for certain

acts.

17.

Pending legal

proceedings.

18.

Advances by Minister to

Board.

19.

Legal Aid Fund.

20.

Accounts and audits of

Board.

21.

Transfer of staff to

Board.

22.

Terms and conditions of staff

transferred to the Board.

23.

Superannuation.

24.

General criteria for grant of

legal aid and advice.

24A.

Restriction on right to apply

for legal aid and advice

25.

Legal advice.

26.

Criteria for obtaining legal

advice.

27.

Legal aid.

28.

Criteria for obtaining legal

aid.

29.

Financial eligibility and

contributions towards cost of legal aid and advice.

30.

Location of law centres and

provision of legal aid and advice.

31.

Selection of solicitor or

barrister.

32.

Relationship between lawyer

and person in receipt of legal aid or advice.

33.

Costs recoverable by or on

behalf of a person in receipt of legal aid or advice.

34.

Measurement of costs incurred

by Board.

35.

Refund of costs and

damages.

36.

Costs awarded against a person

in receipt of legal aid.

36A.

Confidentiality of information disclosed in course of family mediation.

36B.

Guidelines relating to confidentiality of family mediation.

37.

Regulations.

38.

Orders and

regulations.

39.

Expenses.

40.

Short title.

Number

32

of

1995

CIVIL LEGAL AID ACT

1995

REVISED

Updated to

24 June 2026

AN ACT TO MAKE PROVISION FOR THE

GRANT BY THE STATE OF LEGAL AID AND ADVICE TO PERSONS OF INSUFFICIENT MEANS IN CIVIL

CASES.

[16

th December

, 1995]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS

FOLLOWS

Annotations

Modifications (not altering

text)

C1

Functions transferred and

references to Minister for and Department of Equality and Law Reform construed as

Minister for and Department of Justice (8.07.1997) by

Equality and Law Reform

(Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order

1997

(S.I. No. 297 of 1997), arts. 3, 4 and sch., in operation as per art.

1(2).

3. (1) The administration and

business in connection with the exercise, performance or execution of any

functions transferred by Article 4 of this Order are hereby transferred to the

Department of Justice.

(2) References to the Department

of Equality and Law Reform contained in any Act or any instrument made thereunder

and relating to any administration and business transferred by paragraph (1) of

this Article shall, on and after the commencement of this Order, be construed as

references to the Department of Justice.

4. (1) The functions vested in the Minister for Equality and Law

Reform

(

a

) by or under any of the Acts mentioned in

the Schedule to this Order, and

(

b

) by virtue of the Justice (Transfer of

Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1993 (

S.I. No. 34 of

1993

).

are hereby transferred to the Minister for

Justice.

(2) References to the Minister for

Equality and Law Reform contained in any Act or instrument made thereunder and

relating to any functions transferred by this Article shall, on and after the

commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for

Justice.

...

SCHEDULE

Acts, functions under which are

transferred from the Minister for Equality and Law Reform to the Minister for

Justice.

...

Civil Legal Aid Act,

1995

(No. 32 of 1995)

...

Note that name of Minister for and

Department of Justice was changed to

• Justice, Equality and Law

Reform (9.07.1997) by

Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of

Minister) Order 1997

(S.I. No. 298 of 1997), in operation as per art.

1(2);

• Justice and Law Reform

(2.06.2010) by

Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Alteration of Name of

Department and Title of Minister) Order 2010

(S.I. No. 216 of 2010), in

operation as per art. 1(2);

• Justice and Equality

(2.04.2011) by

Justice and Law Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and

Title of Minister) Order 2011

(S.I. No. 138 of 2011), in operation as per

art. 1(2);

• Justice (1.11.2020) by

Justice and Equality (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of

Minister) Order 2020

(S.I. No. 452 of 2020), in operation as per art.

1(2);

• Justice, Home Affairs and

Migration (5.06.2025) by

Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of

Minister) Order 2025

(S.I. No. 242 of 2025), in operation as per art.

1(2).

Annotations

Modifications (not altering

text)

C1

Functions transferred and

references to Minister for and Department of Equality and Law Reform construed as

Minister for and Department of Justice (8.07.1997) by

Equality and Law Reform

(Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order

1997

(S.I. No. 297 of 1997), arts. 3, 4 and sch., in operation as per art.

1(2).

3. (1) The administration and

business in connection with the exercise, performance or execution of any

functions transferred by Article 4 of this Order are hereby transferred to the

Department of Justice.

(2) References to the Department

of Equality and Law Reform contained in any Act or any instrument made thereunder

and relating to any administration and business transferred by paragraph (1) of

this Article shall, on and after the commencement of this Order, be construed as

references to the Department of Justice.

4. (1) The functions vested in the Minister for Equality and Law

Reform

(

a

) by or under any of the Acts mentioned in

the Schedule to this Order, and

(

b

) by virtue of the Justice (Transfer of

Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1993 (

S.I. No. 34 of

1993

).

are hereby transferred to the Minister for

Justice.

(2) References to the Minister for

Equality and Law Reform contained in any Act or instrument made thereunder and

relating to any functions transferred by this Article shall, on and after the

commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for

Justice.

...

SCHEDULE

Acts, functions under which are

transferred from the Minister for Equality and Law Reform to the Minister for

Justice.

...

Civil Legal Aid Act,

1995

(No. 32 of 1995)

...

Note that name of Minister for and

Department of Justice was changed to

• Justice, Equality and Law

Reform (9.07.1997) by

Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of

Minister) Order 1997

(S.I. No. 298 of 1997), in operation as per art.

1(2);

• Justice and Law Reform

(2.06.2010) by

Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Alteration of Name of

Department and Title of Minister) Order 2010

(S.I. No. 216 of 2010), in

operation as per art. 1(2);

• Justice and Equality

(2.04.2011) by

Justice and Law Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and

Title of Minister) Order 2011

(S.I. No. 138 of 2011), in operation as per

art. 1(2);

• Justice (1.11.2020) by

Justice and Equality (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of

Minister) Order 2020

(S.I. No. 452 of 2020), in operation as per art.

1(2);

• Justice, Home Affairs and

Migration (5.06.2025) by

Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of

Minister) Order 2025

(S.I. No. 242 of 2025), in operation as per art.

1(2).

Section

1.

Interpretation.

2.

Establishment day.

3.

Establishment of Legal Aid

Board.

4.

Membership of Board and terms

of office of members.

5.

Functions of Board.

6.

Conferral of additional

functions on Board.

7.

General policy directives as

to legal aid and advice.

8.

Powers of Board.

9.

Reports of Board.

10.

Chief Executive of

Board.

10A.

Accountability of Chief

Executive to Public Accounts Committee.

10B.

Accountability of Chief

Executive to other Oireachtas Committees.

11.

Staff of Board.

11A.

Appointment of persons to provide family mediation services or training in relation

to such services.

11B.

Appointment of persons to provide legal counselling or training in relation to such

services.

12.

Membership of either House of

Oireachtas or of European Parliament.

13.

Dissolution of former

Board.

14.

Transfer of assets and

liabilities of former Board.

15.

Preservation of certain

continuing contracts and adaptation of references to former

Board.

16.

Saving for certain

acts.

17.

Pending legal

proceedings.

18.

Advances by Minister to

Board.

19.

Legal Aid Fund.

20.

Accounts and audits of

Board.

21.

Transfer of staff to

Board.

22.

Terms and conditions of staff

transferred to the Board.

23.

Superannuation.

24.

General criteria for grant of

legal aid and advice.

24A.

Restriction on right to apply

for legal aid and advice

25.

Legal advice.

26.

Criteria for obtaining legal

advice.

27.

Legal aid.

28.

Criteria for obtaining legal

aid.

29.

Financial eligibility and

contributions towards cost of legal aid and advice.

30.

Location of law centres and

provision of legal aid and advice.

31.

Selection of solicitor or

barrister.

32.

Relationship between lawyer

and person in receipt of legal aid or advice.

33.

Costs recoverable by or on

behalf of a person in receipt of legal aid or advice.

34.

Measurement of costs incurred

by Board.

35.

Refund of costs and

damages.

36.

Costs awarded against a person

in receipt of legal aid.

36A.

Confidentiality of information disclosed in course of family mediation.

36B.

Guidelines relating to confidentiality of family mediation.

37.

Regulations.

38.

Orders and

regulations.

39.

Expenses.

40.

Short title.