2,200 people forced to wait for free legal aid

MORE than 2,200 people who cannot afford a solicitor are being forced to wait up to seven months for free legal aid due to a huge increase in demand for services.

Figures from the Legal Aid Board released to the Irish Examiner show, in some parts of the country, people are waiting for six months or more.

While numbers and waiting lists varied from centre to centre, black spots included Galway, Cork, Tipperary and Wexford.