Category: Family

Free Legal Advice Clinics Limerick – dates and locations

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Our new free legal advice clinic schedule for 2026 provides more frequent and convenient access to free legal advice for people living in Limerick.

New weekly phone clinic

We are pleased to introduce a new weekly phone clinic,making it easier to access legal advice when you need it. Appointments are 20 minutes long and take place over the phone with a qualified lawyer.

We provide independent confidential advice on a wide range of matters, including homelessness, housing, education, employment, debt and social welfare.

Appointments must be booked in advance – call 061 536 100 or fill in our online booking form.

Bi-monthly face-to-face clinic

In-person appointments are available bi-monthly in the following areas: Ballinacurra Weston, Moyross, Southill and St Mary’s Park.

These clinics are by appointment only. Appointments can be booked by calling 061 536 100 or through our online booking form.

Upcoming dates and locations (please note, this is not a walk-in service, all consultations are on an appointment only basis):

July

Moyross Community Enterprise CentreTuesday 14th July 202610:30am-12:00pm
Phone ClinicThursday 16th July 2026
10:30am-12:00pm
Novas Limerick, Mungret Street, LimerickTuesday 21st July 2026
10:30am-12:00pm
Southill Community HubWednesday 22nd July 202610:30am-12:00pm

August

Our Lady of Lourdes Community Centre, Ballinacurra WestonTuesday 11th August 202610:30am-12:00pm
Novas Limerick,
Mungret Street, Limerick		Tuesday 18th August 202610:30am-12:00pm
Phone ClinicThursday 20th August 202610:30am-12:00pm
St. Mary’s Alms HouseTuesday 25th August 2026
10:30am-12:00pm

September

Phone Clinic Thursday 3rd September 202610:30am-12:00pm
Moyross Community Enterprise CentreThursday 8th September 202610:30am-12:00pm
Southill Community HubWednesday 16th September 202610:30am-12:00pm
Novas Limerick,
Mungret Street, Limerick		Tuesday 22nd September 202610:30am-12:00pm

This service is free and available to people living in the regeneration areas & to residents of other underserved areas within Limerick City.

Please be aware that dates and times can be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.

Phone: 061 536 100

Email: info@communitylawandmediation.ie

CLM Launches New Report “Community Mediation in Ireland: Unmet Need, Delivery Challenges and Emerging Opportunities”

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Today we launch a new report exploring how community mediation can better meet the needs of communities across Ireland.

The report highlights the significant but untapped potential of community mediation to prevent and resolve disputes in areas such as neighbour and wider family conflicts, as well as issues affecting young people, Travellers, refugees and new communities. It shows that mediation has the greatest impact when it is integrated with other services and tailored to the specific needs of the participants.

The report sets out practical recommendations to expand and diversify mediation services, improve access across Ireland, safeguard vulnerable parties and ensure community mediation is supported and resourced on an equal footing with family and commercial mediation.

Written by Dr Heidi Riley, Adjunct Research Fellow at University College Dublin, this research was commissioned by Community Law & Mediation and funded by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).

We are grateful to IHREC and to all those who shared their experiences and insights throughout this process.

Read the report below.

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Community Law & Mediation’s Annual Report 2024

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2024 was a year of progress for Community Law & Mediation, as we continued our mission to provide free, accessible legal, mediation and education services to individuals and communities facing exclusion and inequality.

Our Annual Report 2024 highlights the launch of our new five-year Strategic Plan, the growth of our work in environmental and children’s law, and our ongoing advocacy for systemic change in housing, social welfare, employment and access to justice across the board.

Each figure and initiative within this report reflects the lived experiences of those we support and our collective effort to advance equality and access to justice.

Guided by our mission to empower communities, tackle underlying injustice and exclusion, and advance rights-based changes in public policy and law – This report reflects both the scale and scope of our work to ensure access to justice for all.

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Placing Children’s Rights at the Heart of Housing Reform on World Homeless Day 2025

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No child should have to grow up homeless in unsuitable emergency accommodation.

It’s time to put children’s rights at the heart of housing reform. Every child deserves a home. 

This #WorldHomelessDay, we’re calling for urgent action to protect children living in unsuitable emergency accommodation. Right now, more than 16,000 people in Ireland are in emergency accommodation and 5,145 are children.

Too many families are confined to single hotel rooms for months or even years, without space to cook, play, study or simply enjoy their childhood.  

Recent reports by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Mercy Law Resource Centre and the Ombudsman for Children have all highlighted the devastating impact on families living in emergency accommodation and family hubs — from disrupted education to lasting harm on children’s health, wellbeing and development. 

The ongoing review of the Housing Act 1988 is a crucial chance to put children’s rights at the centre of housing law. 

Read our letter to the Minister for Housing below:

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Family Rights Advocacy Course- QQI Level 6

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This course gives a basic understanding of the Irish legal system and family law in relation to advocacy in Ireland. Learners will develop an awareness of the main features of family law and understand how legislation impacts on relationship while becoming familiar with the legal language, procedures, and court documents relevant to the family law area. Learners will develop their advocacy skills and the ability to apply what they have learned to the workplace. This course will cover any new legislation regarding family law in Ireland.

Participants who successfully complete this course will be able to.

  • Outline definitions of family to include those in Irish Legislation
  • Identify the functions of the Irish Courts in relation to families
  • Outline the rights, entitlements, services and supports available to families
  • Discuss current issues in relation to rights, entitlements, services and supports available to families.

Research information relevant to families to include rights entitlements and available supports.
 
Payment 
The cost of this course is €650.00 to be paid in full before the course commences (10% discount for CLM Members).
 
Trainers and Accreditation
This course is run by Community Law & Mediation & Ballymun Community Law Centre. This course is QQI accredited in conjunction with Irish National Organisation of the Unemployment (provider code 380460).
 
Location
This course will take place in Ballymun Community Law Centre, Unit 1A Shangan Neighbourhood Centre, Shangan Road, Ballymun, Dublin 9
 

Date & Times
This course will run on a Monday for 12 weeks starting on Monday 16 January 2023 from 10am to 2pm each week.

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Pilot scheme a welcome development for equality in education for students with visual impairments

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Community Law & Mediation (CLM) welcomes the decision by the State Examinations Commission to commence a pilot scheme enabling visually-impaired students to access digital versions of their exam papers.

The decision was made on foot of a lengthy campaign by Eithne Walsh, head of advocacy and communication with Féach, whose son is a visually impaired student and is due to sit the Leaving Certificate in 2023.

Eithne and her son had repeatedly requested that he be provided with a digital copy of his Leaving Certificate examination – to date, only paper-based exams have been allowed – but their requests were refused by the State Examinations Commission (SEC). CLM provided legal advocacy support to the family, and wrote to the SEC highlighting the fact that that it was acting in breach of its statutory duty under s.6 and s.7 of the Education Act 1998 and that its refusal to provide reasonable accommodation was a breach of the student’s rights to equality, education, and his imprescriptible rights as a child.

While the announcement of a pilot scheme is really positive news, this addresses just one of the many obstacles faced by students with visual impairments. For example, they do not currently have the same level of access to past (modified) papers that their fellow students have; the format of the oral examinations is particularly challenging for students who are visually impaired;  and decisions made under the Reasonable Accommodations at Certificate Examinations (RACE) Scheme are often published at short notice, leaving the students affected with little time to appeal if they do not get the supports they need under the Scheme.

Community Law & Mediation will continue to advocate on behalf of families and young people who are affected by issues such as these.

If you have a query related to the education rights of your child, contact us for free legal advice: 01 847 7804.

Welcome new strategy for family justice reform but much work needed to deliver a truly child-centered system

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Community Law & Mediation (CLM) welcomes the commitment in the Family Justice Strategy, published today by the Department of Justice, to place children at the centre of reform but cautions that the delivery of a truly child-centered family justice system cannot be achieved without consistent application of this commitment, including in the newly published Family Court Bill. CLM, which provides a dedicated children’s legal advice and advocacy service, was a member of the expert advisory group on the Family Justice Strategy.

Commenting on the announcement, Ruth Barry, solicitor specialising in children’s law at CLM said:

“Family law proceedings are often highly adversarial and can be re-traumatising for both children and other family members. We welcome the new strategy, in particular the commitment to place children at the centre of reform. While the strategy does not yet fully address problematic areas like civil legal aid, expert reports furnished to court or hearing the voice of the child, it provides a framework for moving forward.

The express recognition of children’s best interests in the Family Court Bill is particularly welcome, as is the intention to create a dedicated Family Court within the existing court structure but we have some concerns about how this will be delivered in practice. Jurisdiction in private family law is determined based on the financial assets of the family and the Bill contains no provision for  complex high conflict private family law cases – where care of a child or children is the source of the complexity – to be directed to the Circuit Court. This will be at odds with complex childcare proceedings concerning child protection.

Furthermore, the Bill doesn’t provide for the separation of public and private family law proceedings in the court lists of the new family law courts with the effect that families and children who are in court to address child protection issues may have their cases listed alongside families and children who are in court to address custody and access.

CLM would welcome a review of the Family Court Bill from the perspective of the child’s experience – a review based on the child being at the centre of all reform in the area – in order that we ensure we set solid foundations for this reform process and start as we mean to continue.” 

ENDS

For further information please contact Elizabeth Devine, Policy & Communications Manager, Community Law & Mediation – ph 087 697 5677

Notes to Editor:

About Community Law & Mediation

Community Law & Mediation (CLM) was established in 1975 as the first independent community law centre in Ireland, as part of the campaign for civil legal aid. Today, is support more than 4,400 people in communities experiencing disadvantage through free legal advice and representation; information and education; and mediation and conflict coaching services. It provides a dedicated children’s legal advice and advocacy service, including an outreach clinic for children and young people in care, in collaboration EPIC. www.communitylawandmediation.ie

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