This article is from page 2 of the 2007-04-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
A NUMBER of barristers operating in the Clare and Limerick area were among the top earners in the €15.7 million paid out through the Crim1- nal Legal Aid Scheme last year.
Figures showed that Brian MclIn- erney BL, who carries out much of his work in the Limerick and Ennis Circuit Court, was once more the top earner in the region.
The figures were released by the Department of Justice in response to a Freedom of Information request.
Mr McInerney was the _ high- est earning barrister-at-law in the
country last year and was the fourth top earning barrister overall when he received €330,103.
Well-known senior counsel, Brendan Nix, figured at 15 in the overall list after receiving €187,932.
Other barristers operating in the Clare-Limerick area to feature high- ly on the list included Mark Nicho- las BL who received €169,629; John Edwards SC €149,382 and Michael Fitzgibbon who received €39,673.
The figures also showed that Lor- can Connolly BL last year received €25,494 and Pat Whyms BL re- ceived €17,325.
The amounts are gross figures with VAT included and do not include the income the barristers would earn from civil legal work or work in the criminal court for clients who do not qualify for legal aid.
Barristers rarely operate in the district court and the vast majority of their work is carried out in the higher courts.
In Clare, the circuit court sits four times a year in Ennis, while it also sits in Kilrush during each session.
County Clare is located in the South-western Circuit, which also includes Limerick and Kerry. The presiding judge in the South-west-
ern Circuit is Judge Carroll Moran.
The table also shows that the bar- rister who has defended Ennistymon man Patrick O’ Dwyer, Patrick Gage- by SC, received €140,112 last year.
Nationally, the senior counsel to receive the top amount were Brendan Grehan who _ received €462,099, Michael O’Higgins who received €380,099, Isobel Kennedy who received €339,103 and Luigi Rea who received €319,953.
The tables also show that Martin Giblin SC received €305,701, while Anthony Sammon SC received €284,631 and Roderick F O’Hanlon SC received €279,174.