Fighting the good fight free of charge

She started her own practice in the mid-1980s, in the midst of recession. In 2011, not much has changed for Ireland. Now a director of FLAC, Noeline Blackwell still sees first-hand the look of despair on people’s faces, writes Kyran Fitzgerald

THIS week, the Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) unveiled its latest annual report. It makes for grim reading.

In particular, details are provided about the extent to which the debt crisis has spread through society. In 2007, FLAC dealt with 153 debt queries face to face. Last year, it dealt with 787.