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	Head of service at Barnardos describes system as &lsquo;chaotic&rsquo; and calls for regulation</p>
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	The rate of legal fees paid by the State to lawyers acting for children&rsquo;s guardians ad litem (GAL) in the courts has rocketed this year. New figures from Minister for Children Charlie Flanagan show guardians ad litem legal fees total &euro;3.14 million for the year to date.</p>
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	Guardians ad litem provide an independent voice for children in family law proceedings, and the &euro;3.14 million to their lawyers compares to a total of &euro;4.85 million in such fees for 2013. The figures show that legal fees top the amounts being paid out to guardians ad litem themselves in 2014.</p>
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	In a written D&aacute;il reply to Tommy Broughan TD, Mr Flanagan said &euro;2.47 million has been paid in direct payments to them in 2014 &ndash; &euro;3.14 million was paid in legal fees.</p>
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	Barnardos is the largest single provider of guardian ad litem services, and last year it received &euro;3.58 million for providing this service.</p>
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	The head of the service at Barnardos, Freda McKittrick, yesterday described the GAL system as &ldquo;chaotic&rdquo; and urged Government to regulate it. She admitted to being puzzled by the figures. &ldquo;They are surprising as I know the Child &amp; Family Agency has stated its intention to reduce the use of lawyers where guardian ad litems are concerned and we have been actively reducing lawyers.&rdquo;</p>
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	<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/big-rise-in-legal-fees-for-child-court-guardians-1.1854709">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/big-rise-in-legal-fees-for-child-court-guardians-1.1854709</a></p>
