Buttimer warns over cuts to legal aid pay as he earns €750k

The top earning criminal legal aid lawyer in the country, Frank Buttimer, said yesterday that if legal aid pay rates are reduced any further, it will become uneconomical for lawyers to provide a legal aid service.

The high profile Cork solicitor made his comments after Department of Justice figures show that Mr Buttimer earned the top amount in legal aid payments for the third year in a row last year when he received €757,678 (incl Vat). The amount received by Mr Buttimer follows the solicitor receiving €714,865 in 2012 and €889,659 in 2011.

The figures released follow the Minister for Justice Alan Shatter confirming earlier this week that the amount in fees paid out last year through criminal legal aid payments rose by €760,000 to €47.78m.