Governance

Meet The Board

In accordance with the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995, the Board is made up of a chairperson and ten ordinary members.

Joan Crawford, Chief Executive

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The Legal Aid Board’s Chief Executive is Joan Crawford who was appointed to the role in April 2023. Joan previously served as Director of Internal Service Delivery (Civil) and Regional Manager for the Legal Aid Board, having worked as a solicitor and subsequently as a Managing Solicitor in various Law Centres in the Dublin region. Joan has experience in general practice and local government, as well as extensive experience in Family Law and Mediation, Child Abduction and Child Care cases in all courts.

Nuala Egan, Chairperson

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The Chairperson is Nuala Egan, Senior Counsel. Nuala began practising as a barrister in 1997 and became a Senior Counsel in 2022. Her practice focusses upon aspects of constitutional, human rights and administrative law. She has published in her legal areas of interest, including asylum and immigration law, public child law and international environmental law and development.

Serving Members of The Board

The other members serving on the Board are:

Michael Bourke, Solicitor
Patrick Durcan, Retired District Court Judge
Gordon Jeyes, former Chief Executive of Tusla, the Child and Family Agency
Catherine Keane, Solicitor
Maurice Lawlor, Officer of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection
Freda McKittrick, Assistant Director, Barnardos
Niamh O'Hanlon, Legal Clerk, Legal Aid Board
Tracy O'Keeffe, Officer of the Minister for Justice and Equality
Catherine Ryan, Managing Solicitor, Legal Aid Board
Liam Ryan, Solicitor

Regulation of Lobbying

Designated Public Official

The Board's Designated Public Official: Joan Crawford, Chief Executive.

Organisational Structure

The Board is appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality and has responsibility for:

The strategic direction of the organisation
Determining policy and monitoring its implementation
Overseeing the proper and effective management of the organisation
Monitoring the implementation of effective financial procedures
Approving and monitoring budgets
Making certain reserved decisions

External Consultative Panel

Please note that the Legal Aid Board External Consultative Panel operates under the Transparency Code prepared in accordance with Section 5(7) of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015. The panel provides a forum to enable the Legal Aid Board to keep stakeholders informed and updated on relevant developments and facilitates stakeholders to provide feedback and assistance to the Legal Aid Board on the services provided.

Composition and membership of the Panel

The External Consultative Panel consists of the following members:

Ms Joan Crawford, Chief Executive, Legal Aid Board
Ms Julie Ahern, Children's Rights Alliance
Mr Bobby Barbour, Citizens Information Board
Ms Eilis Barry, FLAC
Ms Sarah Benson, Women's Aid
Ms Saoirse Brady, Children's Rights Alliance
Ms Jacinta Brack, Irish Traveller Movement
Mr Adam Boyle, Mercy Law
Mr PJ Cleere, Disability Federation
Mr Brian Collins, Irish Refugee Council
Mr Martin Collins, Pavee Point
Ms Joanne Condon, National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities
Ms Sandra Conway, National Women’s Council of Ireland
Ms Catherine Cosgrove, Immigrant Council of Ireland
Ms Caroline Couhinan, Safe Ireland
Ms Gillian Dennehy, Women’s Aid
Dr Fiona Donson, Traveller Education Justice Project – UCC
Mr Paul Dornan, Ballymun Community Law Centre
Mr Allen Dunne, Disability Federation
Ms Margaret Gallagher, Children's Rights Alliance
Ms Edel Hackett, Safe Ireland
Ms Mary Henderson, Immigrant Council of Ireland
Ms Siun Hurley, O’Donovan Murphy Solicitors/ Law Society
Ms Monica Hynds, Barnardos
Mr Paul Joyce, FLAC
Ms Aoife Kelly Desmond, Mercy Law
Ms Karen Kiernan, One Family
Dr Amie Lajoie, MABS
Ms Stephaine Lord, FLAC
Ms Katie Mannion, Irish Refugee Council
Ms Johanna Martyn, MABS
Ms Susan McCormack, National Women’s Council of Ireland
Ms Andrea McDermott, Men’s Aid
Ms Mary McDermott, Safe Ireland
Ms Rose Morris, Citizens Information Board
Ms Ciara Murphy, Law Library/Council of the Bar of Ireland
Ms Joan O’Mahony, Law Society and O’Mahony’s Solicitors
Ms Jane O'Sullivan, Community Law and Mediation
Mr Ger O’Brien, MABS
Ms Orla O’ Connor National Women’s Council of Ireland
Ms Deirdre Lynch, Law Library/ Council of the Bar of Ireland
Ms Donna Parau, RCNI
Mr Damien Peelo, Treoir
Mr Cormac Quinlan, TUSLA
Ms Gayle Smith, Treoir
Ms Susan Shanahan, Citizens Information Board
Ms Linda Smith, Women’s Aid
Ms Marcella Stakem, SVP
Ms Anne Staunton, Rainbows Ireland
Ms Rose Wall, Community Law and Mediation
Ms Eavan Ward, Women’s Aid
Ms Tanya Ward, Children’s Rights Alliance
Ms Samantha Williams, Traveller Education Justice Project – UCC
Ms Fiona Wright, Courts Service
Mr Niall Quinn, Law Library/ Council of the Bar of Ireland
Mr James Glynn, MABS
Mr Kevin Rogers, Secretary to the Panel, Legal Aid Board

Protected Disclosures

View the Policy on Protected Disclosure reporting in the Workplace here.

Child Safeguarding Statement

View the Legal Aid Board Child Safeguarding Policy and Procedure here.

Procurement Policy

View the Legal Aid Board Procurement Policy here.

Legislation

Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 - 2021 Consolidated
Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 as amended 01-01-19
S.I. No. 272/2016 Civil Legal Aid Regulation
Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995
S.I. No 272/1996 The Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995, (Commencement Order), 1996
S.I. No 273/1996 Civil Legal Aid Regulations, 1996
S.I. No 8/2002 Civil Legal Aid Regulations, 2002
S.I. No 460/2006 Civil Legal Aid Regulations, 2006
S.I. No 81/2017 Civil Legal Aid (International Protection Appeals Tribunal) Order 2017
S.I. No 346/2013 Civil Legal Aid Regulations, 2013
Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2008
Children Act, 1997
Sex Offenders Act, 2001
Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Act, 2007