The legal aid system, which supports the most disadvantaged in the courts, is “in crisis” and “may collapse”, a report published on Monday says. The Free Legal Advice Centres (Flac) makes the statement in its 2025 annual report as criminal legal aid solicitors continue to boycott the system in a dispute with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan over changes to how they are paid. Thousands of cases in the District, Circuit and Central Criminal courts have been adjourned while defendants report being unable to get legal aid solicitors.Flac is an independent human rights charity providing free legal advice by phone and at clinics to people who cannot afford or face other obstacles accessing support. It also provides free legal representation in limited cases.Its report “highlights the extent of unmet legal need that our hugely oversubscribed” services encountered last year, said Flac chief executive Eilis Barry. The organisation’s telephone line received 66,361 calls, but had capacity to respond to just 14,103 queries. The highest number of calls concerned family law (3,534) and employment law, in line with previous years. Family law accounted for 25 per cent of all calls – 40 per cent of which were about divorce or separation, 28 per cent custody, access or guardianship of children, and 18 per cent domestic violence. “Flac received 635 queries in relation to domestic violence ... an 18 per cent increase since 2024 and more than any previous year,” says the report. “Domestic violence queries have risen every year since 2017.”Callers “frequently reported being unable to retain a family law solicitor” through the legal aid system despite being approved for it.Last year marked the highest number of employment law queries (3,317) – almost one-quarter of calls and up 42 per cent on 2024. The three most common issues were contract terms (32 per cent), grievance procedures (18 per cent) and dismissal (18 per cent). “The phone line often hears from callers who are representing themselves in cases before the Workplace Relations Commission in circumstances where their employer or former employer has instructed a solicitor and a junior and senior counsel,” the report states. “These issues regarding ‘equality of arms’ also arise in instances where callers are bringing employment law cases against public bodies.”Flac again saw “very high levels of discrimination against Travellers and Roma who are seeking to access shops, pubs, hotels and restaurants”. It provided representation in relation to 107 complaints or potential complaints under the equality legislation. Flac clients in discrimination cases received a total of €91,850 in compensation.Nevertheless, high levels of “unmet need” for legal advice and representation among the most marginalised remain, said Barry. Flac has spearheaded calls for reform of legal aid. Citing a Flac report on legal aid published last year, Barry said it showed the system was “in crisis” and “failing and unable to meet significant legal need, especially among [those] who live in poverty, extreme poverty and/or who experience disadvantage and discrimination”.She added: “The Legal Aid Board itself has acknowledged that Ireland’s system of civil legal aid is not just in crisis but may collapse and, only recently, the Oireachtas justice committee has called for urgent action from the Minister to address the crisis.”Flac, in its report, also describes as “regressive” several developments, including Government inaction on important reforms to equality legislation, and the “rushed” Housing Bill, which “is likely to lead to a rise in homelessness” among migrants.