Garda chief tells Offaly policing committee there is a 'revolving door' for free legal aid

THE country's top garda has said he shares other people's amazement at the free legal aid system.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was responding to a question from Cllr Declan Harvey at a meeting of the Offaly Joint Policing Committee on Monday.

“How many times can people get free legal aid?” asked Cllr Harvey.

The Fianna Fail councillor said if one looked at the papers, local and national, “it's the same people who are in court every so often and they're all getting free legal aid”.

Cllr Harvey suggested that Cllr John Leahy's “three strikes and you're out” proposal for mandatory prison sentences should also be applied to legal aid applications.

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“Free legal aid is a loophole for a lot of these people,” said the Tullamore councillor.

“It beggars belief that there are known criminals getting free legal aid.”

Commissioner Harris, who travelled to Tullamore to address the policing committee, said he understood the point the councillor was making but “respectfully” told him he was “directing it towards the wrong person”.

However Commissioner Harris added: “Legal aid is an issue of public policy and probably we watch in as much amazement as yourselves as individuals go through this revolving door, back and forwards into the courts.”

He also said Ireland had a good system of retrieving criminal assets but some offenders had no assets which could be pursued.