The Republic's 31 State solicitors are expected to be made an offer this week for increased payments for prosecuting cases in the Circuit and District Courts, following complaints about pay rates, writes John Downes
President of the State Solicitors Association Michael Murray, who is State solicitor for for Limerick city, said yesterday he wrote to Attorney General Rory Brady on April 7th saying he was no longer prepared to "subsidise the State" in his role.
In his letter he said he would no longer be willing to perform the role in Limerick city from Monday next unless an improved offer was made.
He told The Irish Times that two other State solicitors - Ciarán Mac Lochlainn in Donegal and Eugene Tormey in North Tipperary - had resigned in recent years due to financial concerns.
However he said the association had been informed that a meeting had taken place between representatives of the Chief State Solicitor's office - which forms part of the Attorney General's office, the Department of Finance - and representatives of the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss the issue and an offer is expected to be made to the solicitors later this week.
A Government spokesman refused to confirm that an offer would be made but said the Government was in discussions with their association
They are in continuing discussions with representatives of the solicitors and believe it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time, the spokesman said.
Mr Murray told The Irish Times that a number of the other State solicitors - particularly those in bigger population centres - were struggling to make ends meet under the current payment system.
This could have serious implications for future recruitment to the service, he said.
Mr Murray estimated that it cost him €163,000 to run the service in Limerick city. However, he received €158,000 a year from the Government.
This figure included a "notional" salary for himself which he said he did not in fact receive due to his overheads.
Among the overheads which he said he he faced were staff costs, rent, rates, telephone charges and other general office costs.
In his own case, the number of days he spent in court each year had also risen from just over 40 days to nearly 100, following changes in work practices in recent years.
Mr Murray said he planned to raise the issue at an extraordinary general meeting of the association on April 25th.