Accessing Civil Legal Aid in Ireland

The Issue

When launching its 2016 report ‘Accessing Justice in Hard Times’, FLAC wanted to highlight civil legal aid as an important tool for vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and groups, particularly  those on low incomes, seeking to access justice.

What PILA did

FLAC delivered a cross-organisational legal education session to PILA NGOs on how to apply for State legal aid and what to expect from the service.

The result

The session was attended by 34 staff from 25 NGOs who found it, “excellent…a good reminder that FLAC and PILA are there when necessary”, “information is highly relevant to my clients and will be passed on”, “a brilliant seminar – very informative”. Participants came to understand how crucial it is that frontline organisations have a thorough understanding of the civil legal aid system so they can ensure their stakeholders are able to access justice when needed. They also felt more confident in being able to provide valuable information on the legal needs of their communities and clients which can be used to push for positive reform of the civil legal aid system and promote the basic human right of access to justice.

Data Protection Handbook for the Non-Profit Sector

The issue

NGOs can hold significant amounts of personal data, requiring them to have in place transparent and accountable procedures for processing data. They can often also play an important role in assisting clients who would like to access their own data from other organistions. As a complex and evolving area of law, PILA receives frequent requests for training and assistance with data protection policies and procedures.

What PILA did

A user friendly guide which was developed by McCann FitzGerald specifically for the not-for-profit sector, which examines both the data protection obligations of organisations, as well as how to support individuals in accessing their personal data. The guide provides an overview of the existing legislation and rules.

The result

The handbook was launched by delivering training to 16 staff from 14 NGOs, who found “the session was excellent!” “very worthwhile and relevant” and “a very informative and helpful presentation. Well done!”.

The handbook is available for download, or please contact PILA if you would like for us to post you a copy.

Homelessness and the Asylum Process

The issue

Focus Ireland had recently recruited a group of Community Service Volunteers, who were recent graduates of social science related disciplines participating in a 12 month programme. Focus Ireland sought to incorporate legal training into the graduate programme.

What PILA did

PILA organised for lawyers from the Irish Refugee Council Independent Law Centre to give the new volunteers an introduction to the asylum process, associated social welfare entitlements, statutory agency powers, and naturalisation.

The result

The Legal Education Session allowed Focus Ireland develop knowledge around supporting homeless people who have refugee or asylum seeker status in gaining access to accommodation and relevant supports. The volunteers found it “overall very good training that I have confidence to use again”, “a complex area, however the presentation style was clear and comprehensive”, and felt “the training clarified a number of issues we are currently facing in cases, very worthwhile training”.

Human Rights & Older People

The issue 

The Human Rights and Older People Working Group is a group of 7 organisations, and facilitated by The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, that explores a human rights based approach to older people’s issues. The Working Group sought to gain deeper understanding of the domestic legal framework applicable to older people’s rights in terms of housing, health and long term care.

What PILA did

PILA ran a Legal Education Session for representatives of 5 national member organisations of the Working Group. The session was delivered by Teresa Blake SC and kindly sponsored by PILA partner law firm William Fry.

The result

The session gave a detailed overview and breakdown of the legal frameworks in relation to older people’s health and long term care; nursing homes and institutional settings; the protection of vulnerable adults in law; and the long awaited Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Bill.  Those in attendance noted that they “really appreciated the level of research prior to the session and the knowledge provided”. One attendee felt that Teresa was a “very clear presenter” who “used very practical examples which really helped to make it lively, interactive and relevant”. With a strong emphasis on policy, the group was able to develop their advocacy across a number of areas.

New Garda Vetting Legislation

The issue

New legislation on Garda vetting was introduced by the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012-2016 which impacted the staff and volunteers of all organisations working with children and vulnerable adults.

What PILA did

PILA organised a cross-organisational Legal Education Session, presented by Special Rapporteur on Child Protection Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, to give an overview of the new legislation.

The result

The session was attended by 38 staff from 26 NGOs, including frontline, policy, logistics and human resource employees. Participants gained clarity on how the new vetting regime could impact their organisations’ existing policies and procedures, and found the session “very clear & very informative”, “very valuable to have access to such expertise”, “extremely clear, very well presented and all questions answered clearly”.