MORE THAN 4,400 people were unable to get through to the Free Legal Advice Centre’s phone line last year “due to overwhelming demand”.
FLAC said the figures “shine a spotlight on huge unmet legal need”.
FLAC is an independent organisation that operates a legal information and referral telephone line.
It also runs a nationwide network of legal advice clinics, where volunteer lawyers provide basic free legal advice.
FLAC has published its annual report for 2022 and its chairperson David Fennelly said the report “underlines just how pressing a challenge access to justice remains in Ireland”.
Its legal information and referral telephone line answered 13,556 calls last year, but 4,466 callers could not get through due to overwhelming demand.
30% of the 13,556 calls that were answered were family law queries in relation to topics such as divorce and separation, custody and guardianship maintenance, domestic violence, and civil partnerships.
Employment law queries made up 15% of answered calls, with calls made in relation to contract terms, dismissals, bullying and harassment, discrimination, and maternity leave.
FLAC expressed concern that it has nowhere to refer these 2,063 callers with employment law queries.
Employment law queries are the second highest area of calls to FLAC but there is no legal aid available in employment claims before the Workplace Relations Committee.
FLAC’s annual report notes: “Apart from FLAC, there is no avenue for callers who cannot afford a private solicitor (or who are not members of a trade union) to receive legal assistance.
“The WRC has a statutory mandate to provide employment law information. However, we receive calls from people (including from employers) who have been referred to FLAC by the WRC.”
Meanwhile, 6% of callers had a housing query, and 7% of calls were from lay litigants who are endeavouring to represent themselves.
The number of calls logged last year to FLAC was the highest since 2015.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, FLAC CEO Eilis Barry said that the organisation has added resources to its telephone line but that it is still struggling to meet demand.
“What we can tell from the tech people is that the over 4000 people who are trying to get through, they rang on a number of occasions which suggests a degree of urgency and also desperation for information and advice,” warned Barry.
She also said calls expressed concern about callers seeking advice on employment law “who have nowhere to go if they can’t afford a solicitor”.
“Of particular concern are people who are ringing us for advice on employment law if they’ve been sacked or if they want to bring a claim of sexual harassment, because the Legal Aid Board can’t provide representation before the Workplace Relations Commission,” said Barry.
However, she said FLAC can provide legal information on its telephone lines.
“But our concern is the over 2,000 callers who are looking for advice on employment law who have nowhere to go if they can’t afford a solicitor as there is no legal aid,” added Barry.
“We’re also concerned about the nearly 1,000 lay litigants who ring us looking for advice, trying to navigate the complex court system.
“Again, we have nowhere to send these people because they can’t afford a solicitor and they’ve been either turned down for legal aid or are not entitled to legal aid.”
The FLAC CEO has called a “coming together of all of the various statutory bodies to set up some sort of system where people can get early legal advice and early legal information.”
She told Morning Ireland: “We know that if you get information and advice at an early stage that can prevent catastrophes.
“If you get your proper legal advice, you may get what you’re entitled to. And not only is that a benefit to the person, but it’s also a huge benefit to society.
“Access to Justice should be seen as a social service like health, like education, but it isn’t and it needs to be resourced and FLAC needs to be resourced as well.”
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