Community law centres 'needed to aid vulnerable people'

Policymakers should pay tribute to the memory of Michael Davitt by ensuring vulnerable people in society have access to legal advice, it was urged today.

At the annual Parnell Summer School, whose theme is the centenary of Davitt’s death, Green Party leader Trevor Sargent called for the establishment of a network of Community Law Centres to ensure access to legal advice.

“Like in Michael Davitt’s time, many people still experience unaffordability of housing and there is still a protected class of developers and speculators. In the year of the centenary of Davitt’s passing, policy makers should pay tribute to his memory by ensuring that housing is made affordable and that the vulnerable have access to the legal system,” said Mr Sargent during his address to the six-day summer school in Parnell’s ancestral home, Avondale House, Co Wicklow.

The party leader said Davitt’s legacy, as father of the Land League, surfaced in the idea of ensuring vulnerable people are protected by giving them access to a service which would give them legal redress.

“The Legal Aid Board provides a valuable service but is restricted to dealing with family law cases. Ironically, FLAC – the Free Legal Advice Centre – has no centres as such for people to visit and is hosted by arrangement with CICs, or Citizens’ Information Centres, where its role is to only advise but not take a case,” the TD said.

“What the individual seeking help from me would really need is a community law centre, which would have a public interest remit.”

Mr Sargent also called for the implementation of the recommendations of the 1973 Kenny Report on the Price of Building Land in order to ensure housing is made more affordable.

“The main difference between Davitt’s time and today is the consequences of being unable to pay for your home. Today, there is no constabulary with bayonets and swords and the people are not generally barefoot. However, I have no doubt that in many households, payments are falling behind,” he said.

Mr Sargent urged the Government to implement the Kenny Report which recommended a windfall tax on development act.

Speakers at the event on the theme ’Forgotten Hero: Michael Davitt and Irish Democracy’ include Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, Fine Gael’s Olwyn Enright, Minister of State Conor Lenihan and Aengus O Snodaigh of Sinn Féin.

Davitt’s grandson, Vincentian priest Fr Tom Davitt will also deliver a personal tribute to the Land League founder, entitled ’Getting to Know Grandad.’

Other speakers at the event in coming days include IFA leader Padraig Walshe, Mountjoy Prison governor John Lonergan and Dr Colm O Cuanachain of Amnesty International.

There will also be academic representatives from Boston College, Galway/Mayo Institute of Technology and Oxford University.