On Friday, 3rd October, the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton launched Community Law & Mediation’s annual report at their offices in Northside Civic Centre. In 2013 alone, CLM provided services to 3,503 individuals. These included free legal advice and representation, free mediation, community education and mediator training. The largest number of queries was in the area of family law, throwing into sharp relief the chronic need for the improved resourcing of the Legal Aid Board whose funding has been drastically cut.
The Law Centre, CLM Northside, provides advice and information in the area of family law, while using its legal representation resources on areas for which people are excluded from accessing the Legal Aid Board, such as social housing and tribunal work in the areas of social welfare and employment. The effects of unemployment, worsening conditions for workers and the mortgage arrears crisis are increasing the need for these services. The volunteers and staff at the weekly Thursday night clinics run by CLM Northside were inundated with queries in the areas of debt, employment and housing law, areas in which the law centre advises and represents people.
2013 saw the opening of a second law centre, CLM Limerick, following an extensive community consultation process in 2012. This process showed that the biggest legal need was in the areas housing, family and social welfare law. In its first year of service, CLM Limerick provided free legal information, advice and representation to 269 individuals. In July of this year, Judge Mary Larkin in Limerick district family court, directed a number of people who came before her to CLM Limerick. These people could not afford the minimum contribution of €130 to the Legal Aid Board for representation in court.
The mediation service, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2014, is a free and confidential service that offers an alternative method for parties involved in a dispute to resolve their issues and to reach an agreement acceptable to both sides. Over the years, the service has successfully responded to needs and expanded to include conflict coaching and mediation in areas such as elder mediation, sibling disputes and grandparent visitation mediation. In 2013, the service continued to develop by expanding its remit to Limerick through CLM Limerick and creating innovative projects such as the “Child’s Voice in the Room”.
To view the annual report, please visit Community Law & Mediation’s website here