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This is the Board’s fifth Corporate Plan and a perusal of previous Plans shows the considerable progress made since its establishment as a statutory Body. This Plan sets a clear direction for the Board’s activities over the next three years and is informed by a wide consultation process involving the staff of the Board and other key stakeholders. It sets out the main objectives that we aim to achieve up to the end of 2011 and the commitments and actions to be implemented to achieve these objectives.
The three years covered by the previous Corporate Plan saw significant developments and achievements in the provision of civil legal aid by the Legal Aid Board. Notably, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Government acknowledged the importance of access to justice for the less well off in society by increasing our budget during that period by some 22 per cent. The Board responded to this in a very positive manner and our achievements during that period highlight the tangible return on even a modest investment in the area of civil legal aid. In terms of timely provision of legal services, almost all of our law centres now offer appointments with a solicitor within a 4 month period. Indeed, clients currently receive appointments within a two month period in 40% of our law centres. Further, some 16% of all our clients receive an immediate or near immediate service because of the urgent nature of particular cases. In addition, all clients of the Refugee Legal Service continued to receive an immediate service due to the legal requirements of this process.
Further highlights over the period of the last Corporate Plan include:
>The Board has actively promoted the use of alternative dispute resolution methods, including collaborative law, in family related disputes;
>The number of people availing of the service has continued to increase while the number of asylum seekers utilising the Refugee Legal Service has declined reflecting a continued reduction in asylum applications;
>As part of its ongoing quality assurance programme, the Board introduced structured file review procedures both for the Board’s own solicitors and also for private practitioners on the Board’s Circuit Court panel;
>A dedicated medical negligence unit was established by the Board;
>The Board’s information technology systems were significantly improved, thus enhancing the Board’s capacity to provide an efficient service;
>The revised Board website was launched in 2007 and provides comprehensive and improved information on the Board’s services in an accessible and user-friendly format;
>There has been greater engagement with groups representing users of the service;
Forms have been simplified;
>There has been an increased emphasis on ensuring that information on the Board’s services is more readily available;
>There has been further investment in professional development and training;
>Our internal structures and processes were reviewed and changes recommended are being implemented;
>Governance processes have been reviewed and updated;
>Facilities have been improved in a number of centres;
>A comprehensive external communications strategy was put in place with the aim of improving the level and quality of the Board’s communications with its stakeholders and the public.
The environment in which the Board operates over the period of the current Plan is likely to have changed substantially from the preceding period. There are likely to be increased financial constraints in terms of the Board’s budget and this may well impact on our capacity to deliver a timely and efficient service to our clients. Such constraints arise at a time when the demand for legal services from the Board is growing at a considerable rate.
In developing the current Plan, the Board adopted the approach that we, nonetheless, should be ambitious in terms of our objectives and the quality and timeliness of the service we propose to offer to our clients. We are undertaking an extensive review of our entire operations to ensure that we are in a position to confirm that the Board is organised in the best manner to deliver the services we are mandated to provide and that the resources given to us are utilised to the optimum effect. I am fully confident that the staff of the Board will continue to give of their best and that the quality of the service provided will stand comparison with legal aid services internationally.
Moling Ryan
Chief Executive
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