Solicitors will get a “very fair fee” under the new system for the provision of legal aid, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said as he appealed to the profession to “be reasonable” and look at the “substance” of the changes that have been made.At least 88 solicitors have resigned from the criminal legal aid panel amid a row over changes to the fee structure paid for cases in the District Court introduced at the start of the month.Earlier this week a further 100 solicitors in Dublin indicated they intend to resign from the criminal legal aid panel in an escalation of the dispute.The new legal aid scheme was introduced by the Government on July 1st.It will provide a flat fee of €520 for solicitors representing clients in criminal cases at the District Court level. This will replace a flat fee of €240 plus €60 for each subsequent hearing.O’Callaghan was asked about the row during a press conference after an informal meeting of European home affairs ministers in Dublin Castle taking place as part of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.He insisted he has “great respect” for the solicitors’ profession “and the essential role that they play in facilitating the administration of justice” and said he made the changes to make the District Court system more “efficient”.[ Does Jim O’Callaghan’s reform of solicitors’ legal aid fees have support within Government?Opens in new window ]O’Callaghan said data prepared by the Department of Justice suggests the payment system that was in place “encourages adjournments” and added: “I say that without being critical of the solicitors profession or representing accused, or indeed the State authorities that are prosecuting.”He argued the situation where an extra fee is paid if a case is adjourned means that “there’s going to be a practice of cases being adjourned on a far too routine a basis.”O’Callaghan said the changes he introduced include “a very fair fee”. He said there was an average of five appearances for a criminal legal-aid funded case and that is why he set the fee at €520, which includes the previous €240 for an initial appearance under the old system and four more appearances at €60 each. He said there is also an “8 per cent increase in fees, which I gave to every criminal lawyer in the country from the 1st of July last, which nobody mentions”.O’Callaghan said he did not want conflict and his “sole focus when it comes to making decisions in respect of the justice system is what’s in the best interests of the people who are court users”.For people who are being prosecuted before the District Court for minor offences this means “to get their prosecution over with promptly”.He added: “The serious offences will still get the €520 for the one appearance in the District Court and then they go to get the higher fees in the circuit and criminal court.”He confirmed he was “standing over” his decision to make the changes.Put to him that almost 200 solicitors have indicated they will resign from the criminal legal aid – approaching a quarter of about 850 on the panel in total – O’Callaghan said he did not have “accurate details” on the number of resignations.“I would appeal to them [solicitors] to stay on the panel, that there’s very important work to be done there” and said the “overwhelming majority are still on the panel, working away”.