The Irish Independent's report on the first day of the criminal legal aid withdrawal, published on June 17, 2026, took its headline from Ferrys Solicitors partner Tony Collier: "This would remove the cash flow we depend on." Our criminal defence solicitors represent clients at every stage of criminal proceedings, from Garda station advice through District Court hearings.
The report, by Anne-Marie Walsh and Conor Feehan, said criminal court cases faced significant disruption on Wednesday as solicitors halted legal aid work in a row over fees, with cases in several courts likely to be affected.
Ferrys' position
Mr Collier's point, which he also made to Irish Legal News the same day, is that the Department of Justice's proposed flat fee per client changes not just how much criminal defence solicitors are paid but when. Under the current scheme a firm is paid per appearance as a case progresses. Under a single end-of-case fee, a firm carries the cost of every appearance, and of running an office and paying staff, until the case finishes.
Ferrys Solicitors has been clear that it supports reform of the criminal legal aid scheme, but that a change directed only at solicitors' payments, introduced without substantive engagement with the Law Society, is not reform. The firm's criminal defence team relies on the scheme to represent clients who could not otherwise afford a solicitor, and the withdrawal of services is intended to bring the Minister to the table.
What clients should know
The withdrawal this week covers bail cases in the District, Circuit, Central Criminal and Special Criminal Courts and the Court of Appeal. Clients in custody continue to be represented. Clients on bail may find their cases adjourned while the action continues.
Background
The Department plans to introduce the flat-fee model from July 1, replacing payments linked to court appearances with a single fee per client regardless of the number of charges. The Department says the change follows a review which found the current structure incentivises multiple hearings.