FLAC Annual Report: 25,164 received legal information and advice in 2018

A total of 25,164 people received basic legal information or advice from FLAC’s telephone information and referral line and from volunteer lawyers at legal advice clinics. These figures were announced in FLAC’s 2018 Annual Report, launched today by Minister for Justice and Equality, Charlie Flanagan TD.

Minister Flanagan said, “FLAC is such an important organisation, which helps so many people, and I am very pleased to be launching its Annual Report for 2018 as it marks its 50^th year in existence.”

There were 11,486 calls to FLAC’s telephone information line in 2018 and the main queries related to, family law (24.2%), employment (10.7 %) and housing (7.7%). 13,678 individuals received legal advice from volunteer lawyers at clinics run in conjunction with the Citizens Information Service at 71 locations nationwide. Family law (34.1%), employment law (15.6%) and wills/probate (9.6%) were the most common legal queries.

115 social justice organisations received legal assistance through FLAC’s public interest law project PILA, from private practitioners acting pro bono.

FLAC as an Independent Law Centre continues to take on cases in the public interest – cases which may have an impact beyond the individual. In 2018, FLAC had 108 casefiles, with the most prevalent issues arising in housing/landlord and tenant (30 %), discrimination (22.4%) and social welfare (18.7%).

Some case studies highlighted in the report include:

• Unauthorised Evictions: FLAC secured one of the highest awards of compensation given by the Residential Tenancies Board when the landlord was ordered to pay €13,766.15 due to an unauthorised eviction. The case was taken by a couple and their 3 children who became homeless on foot of the illegal eviction.
  

• Discrimination in the provision of services: Five equal status claims were settled on a confidential basis with clients receiving a total of €50,000, including two people with HIV who brought discrimination claims against health service providers.

• Employment discrimination: A Roma woman who was refused a job in a hotel because she was wearing a traditional Roma skirt settled an employment discrimination claim with the payment of compensation.

Click here for a copy of the FLAC Annual Report 2018.