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Irish Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Eight domestic violence calls go unanswered by Free Legal Advice Centres every day due to lack of resources
At least eight calls a day from people experiencing domestic violence do not get answered by the State's Free Legal Advice Centres (Flac) because of a lack of capacity. The agency's telephone information and referral line provided legal information to 11,434 people last year. Chief executive Eilis Barry said they only had the capacity to respond to 21 per cent of the estimated 53,103 calls received last year, which included about 2,000 in relation to domestic violence. Flac provides legal advice to people who could not otherwise afford it. Launching the organisation's annual report for 2024, Ms Barry pointed out that the Legal Aid Board receives €12.64 million in funding. However, she added: 'To put that in perspective, the State spends €99 million on the horse and greyhound industry.' READ MORE She said it is 'incredibly difficult to achieve change in the area of legal aid', suggesting this is 'due to a misperception that legal aid is about more money for lawyers'. Ms Barry said: 'There's a failure to view civil legal aid as the vital public service it is.' The agency provided 3,731 legal advice consultations in 2024, a 14 per cent increase on 2023. The largest proportion of these consultations, 32.1 per cent, related to family law. Employment was second with 27.8 per cent of cases. Flac also provided advice in several other areas including housing, landlord and tenant issues, will and probate matters, immigration, discrimination and neighbour disputes. It is calling for legal representation to be available in claims before the Workplace Relations Commission, for social welfare appeals and for Rental Tenancies Board cases. This is currently not allowed under State-supported legal schemes. The agency noted instances of employees trying to represent themselves at WRC cases while employers hired legal teams. It is also seeking special legal centres for the needs of groups such as the Traveller community. Its current service is 'completely overrun with claims of discrimination and in relation to housing', Ms Barry said. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said at the launch that he recognised the need for 'further and greater resources in the civil legal aid scheme'. He pointed out that under Migrant Pact regulations, due to come into force next June, the State will need to increase funding 'just to provide legal assistance or legal counselling for people that are going through the international protection process'. He has received a Government-commissioned review of the system of legal aid and intends to publish both majority and minority reports shortly.
Irish Times
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Record domestic violence calls to Free Legal Advice Centres
Domestic violence-related calls to the State's Free Legal Advice Centres (Flac) reached a record level of 539 last year and queries in relation to family law accounted for more than a quarter of all calls answered. The organisation received an estimated 53,103 calls to its information and referral line last year but only had the capacity to deal with about one in five of these queries, according to its annual report published today. Family law remained the area in which Flac received the most queries, at 3,180 of the 11,435 calls answered. Callers to the phoneline frequently reported being unable to access a family law solicitor from the Legal Aid Board 's private practitioner panel even though they had been approved for legal aid, Flac said. The phoneline answered 2,341 employment law queries. Queries about grievance procedures, dismissal, bullying or harassment, and discrimination were all higher than in any previous year, it said. READ MORE 'The overwhelming demand for Flac's services points to nothing less than a civil legal aid crisis,' Flac chief executive Eilis Barry said. 'As a small NGO, we cannot begin to meet this demand but the ways in which we work provide a blueprint for a new era of civil legal aid in this country.' A perception that civil legal aid was 'about more money for lawyers' had perhaps created a resistance to its provision she said. 'This ignores the very high cost of not providing legal aid to children, families and communities, and the growing body of international research that shows unequivocally that investment in legal aid saves States more money than it costs. Civil Legal Aid needs to be treated like the vital public service which it is.' Ms Barry said she hoped the example Flac provided would inform the Government's response. 'This response should include enabling and resourcing the Legal Aid Board to provide legal information and advice to address the huge unmet need for these services.' It should also involve enabling the board to provide representation in employment, discrimination, social welfare and housing cases, she said, and include the provision of dedicated legal services for disadvantaged communities, including a properly-resourced national Traveller legal service, and a national network of community law centres. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said Flac's funding had been increased by 12.6 per cent in 2025. 'The increase in calls relating to domestic violence, as highlighted in the report, is a stark reminder of the ongoing need for accessible legal information and support. I commend Flac for their tireless work in supporting vulnerable members of society and reaffirming the Government's commitment to tackling domestic and gender-based violence in all its forms.'
Irish Examiner
30-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
'Ireland faces legal aid crisis' as Flac fields 53,000 calls in a year
Ireland is facing 'nothing less than a civil legal aid crisis', the Free Legal Advice Centres (Flac) has said, after new data showed that the organisation received more than 53,000 calls for support last year. In its annual report, Flac said it only has the capacity to respond to a fifth of these queries, with family law and employment law the main areas in which people sought assistance. Furthermore, it said a record high of 539 queries in relation to domestic violence were received in 2024. 'We have nowhere to refer the 20% of callers who seek employment law advice as the Legal Aid Board cannot provide representation before the Workplace Relations Commission [WRC] or indeed in social welfare appeals,' said chief executive Eilis Barry. 'The Legal Aid Board does not have the function of providing legal information and while it can provide legal advice in relation to the areas of law where legal representation is not available, like social welfare, housing, and discrimination, it does not do so to any significant extent. Flac, with tiny resources and staff numbers, cannot begin to bridge the gulf left by the chronically under-resourced Legal Aid Board, with its limited functions and narrow scope. Callers to the Flac phoneline with family law queries frequently reported being unable to access a family law solicitor from the Legal Aid Board's private practitioner panel, even though they had been approved for legal aid. Flac also provided representation for 102 complaints under equality legislation. Cases under equality legislation involved alleged discrimination in employment by shops, hotels, schools, healthcare providers, childcare providers, and providers of public transport. Employment law queries centred on issues around grievance procedures, dismissal, bullying or harassment, and discrimination, which were all at higher rates than the previous year. Flac said it often heard from people representing themselves in cases before the WRC and facing an employer who has instructed a solicitor and barrister. Flac has nowhere to refer these people to because the Legal Aid Board cannot provide representation in such settings. Cases highlighted in annual report Its annual report also highlighted successful cases, such as the High Court ordering a local authority to provide a Traveller family with Traveller-specific accommodation after finding it had been unreasonable in withdrawing a housing offer to the family. In another case, a school was ordered to pay €5,000 in compensation to a student with a visual disability after the WRC found his exclusion from the Summer Provision Scheme constituted discrimination. "It is incredibly difficulty to achieve change in the area of civil legal aid, due perhaps to a perception that it is about more money for lawyers,' said Ms Barry. 'This ignores the very high cost of not providing legal aid to children, families, and communities, and the growing body of international research that shows unequivocally that investment in legal aid saves states more money than it costs. Civil legal aid needs to be treated like the vital public service which it is. She said the Legal Aid Board should be resourced to provide legal information and advice to address the 'huge unmet need' for these services, and it must be able to provide representation in employment, discrimination, social welfare, and housing cases.
Associated Press
12-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
FlackTek™ Expands European Presence with New Facility in Italy
FlackTek™ expands in Europe with a new Italy facility, enhancing materials processing solutions, customer support, and innovation. ITALY, February 12, 2025 / / -- LANDRUM, S.C. – Following the successful launch of its headquarters in Muenster, Germany, FlackTek™ proudly announces the opening of its newest facility in Franciacorta, Italy. This milestone represents the company's ongoing commitment to advancing materials processing solutions and offering local support across Europe as we continue our global expansion. A Strategic Location for Industry Excellence Nestled in the prestigious Franciacorta region, just an hour from Milan, FlackTek Italia combines industrial innovation with picturesque surroundings, overlooking Lake Iseo and framed by scenic mountains. This prime location positions FlackTek near leading Italian and international companies, enabling closer collaboration and access to industries that rely on cutting-edge materials processing. Innovative Facilities Designed for Customer Success FlackTek's Italian headquarters delivers a full-service customer experience, featuring a showroom with flagship machines and modern office space. With an array of machines on-site, the facility offers hands-on demonstrations of FlackTek's transformative technology. This setup ensures faster delivery times, enhanced on-site training and dedicated maintenance support. Like our Technical Center in Münster, Germany, the Italian location maintains a stock of machines and accessories ready for immediate shipment, providing quick turnaround times for customers. Strengthening European Customer Support By offering another brick-and-mortar site with localized resources and expertise, we aim to reduce lead times, foster innovation and establish a stronger presence in industries ranging from aerospace to personal care products, to the automotive industry and beyond. Early successes include hosting demos for key Italian market leaders, with many more scheduled for the coming months. A Vision for Growth As FlackTek continues to expand its global footprint, the Italian site will serve as a beacon for innovation and collaboration. Over the next year, the company aims to deepen its partnerships, enhance brand recognition across Europe, and deliver the precision and reliability customers have come to expect. A Shared Journey For the team behind FlackTek Italia, the journey has been both rewarding and inspiring. 'Being part of the creation of every detail, from the ground up, has been incredibly fulfilling,' said Andrea Ferrari, the Site Director of FlackTek Italia. 'The reception from the local community and our partners has been nothing short of extraordinary—true to the welcoming spirit of Italian culture.' FlackTek's global mission remains clear: to revolutionize materials processing with solutions that empower customers at every stage, from R&D to full-scale production. To explore how FlackTek can elevate your materials processing needs, visit About FlackTek™ Headquartered in Landrum, South Carolina, FlackTek™ has been creating materials processing solutions since 1996. With a core focus on quality and performance, it strives to deliver industry-best results at every point in the mixing process. To that end, FlackTek™ offers The FlackTek™ - a high-speed planetary mixer, supplies, and accessories for all scales of needs ranging from R&D to production, in-depth training, and world-class technical support and service. Design and manufacturing work for the FlackTek™ is done in the U.S., out of a state-of-the-art facility located outside of Boulder, Colo. There, it creates the most advanced planetary mixers on the market by leveraging decades of materials processing knowledge and sourcing the highest quality componentry. This combination of technical expertise and high-end manufacturing is what allows FlackTek™ to uphold its characteristic standard of quality, and boast the world's best support to guarantee materials processing performance that their customers rely on. FlackTeks are designed, built, and supported by people who know how to use them. For more information, visit Michelle Jun FlackTek LinkedIn Legal Disclaimer:
