State solicitors outside Dublin are to withdraw their services from courts next Monday in strike action which could lead to hundreds of cases, some involving serious crime, either being dismissed or adjourned, writes Christine Newman.
The 32 State solicitors operate outside Dublin. The row centres on their method of payment, which is a system of reimbursement introduced in 1980.
A spokesman for the State Solicitors' Association said yesterday that the solicitors were paid partly by salary, with the remainder being for staff costs and for overheads and other expenses.
However, the spokesman said that the solicitors felt that they were now subsidising the State out of their own pockets, some by as much as £30,000 to £40,000.
Negotiations have been continuing with the Department of Finance and the Chief State Solicitor's office in Dublin over the past months but they felt they were not progressing, he said.
Last January, a review group dealing with the matter was reported to have agreed with costings by the association that there was a shortfall of £600,000 in payments made by the Department to the firms of State solicitors involved.
At that time, the solicitors also threatened strike action but it was deferred to allow for further negotiations.
State solicitors outside Dublin are in private practice and are contracted to prosecute cases on behalf of the State. State solicitors in Dublin are not affected by the strike action as they are paid directly as civil servants.