The Justice Minister says there are still “a lot” of criminal legal aid claims in progress despite an ongoing dispute with criminal legal aid solicitors over fees. The comments come after the minister faced criticism and was accused of making “inaccurate” statements about the scale of the disagreement. According to the Irish Mirror, the minister, Mr O’Callaghan, says the overall criminal legal aid panel included 850 solicitors before the dispute began, indicating the system continues to operate with a large number of participating practitioners. Other reports focus on the dispute itself and the disagreement over what the minister’s figures and statements mean in practice, including claims that the minister’s characterisation of the situation does not reflect the extent of the disruption or the number of solicitors affected. Across the coverage, the dispute between the Justice Minister’s position and the solicitors’ complaints remains the central issue, while the minister maintains that criminal legal aid claims continue to be made and processed.