Over €73m spent on criminal legal aid in 2021, figures show

Justice Minister Helen McEntee confirmed the spend, which has increased by €20.5m since 2016

Under the criminal legal aid scheme, senior barristers command ‘brief’ fees of €7,127 for defending murder accused in the Central Criminal Court and €1,562 for each subsequent day after the first day.

Payments through the criminal legal aid scheme to lawyers and court-appointed experts last year surged by €11.2m or 18% to €73.4m.

That is according to new figures provided by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, who confirmed that the €73.4m outlay for 2021 compares to a spend of €62.2m in 2020.