A number of TDs have raised questions in the Dáil about how a fellow TD was granted legal aid.
Fine Gael TD Patrick O'Donovan criticised the Anti-Austerity Alliance TD, Paul Murphy, for availing of free legal aid when he said he is being paid €87,258 a year as a TD.
Free legal aid was granted to Mr Murphy in relation to his trial on charges of falsely imprisoning Tánaiste Joan Burton during a water charge protest in December 2014.
He is entitled to a TD's salary but under an arrangement with his party he takes home the average industrial wage.
Mr O'Donovan was speaking during Dáil statements on crime and raised the issue of the abuse of the free legal aid system and said emergency legislation needs to be brought in to prevent Mr Murphy getting legal aid.
"It has really come to a crescendo when a member of this house qualifies for it. From my point of view, I think this is an issue that has to be addressed by the Minister for Justice", Mr O'Donovan said.
He said it is the "same people in and out of the courts" availing of free legal aid at the taxpayer's expense.
He added: "Enough is enough. If somebody can elected to this house, get a good salary and decide that they are going to use some sort of a measure that will allow them under the radar to qualify for free legal aid, that in my estimation is an absolute outrage and any government that is going to be elected has to address this. It is totally unacceptable."
Mr Murphy said legal fees could run to €100,000, which he said he cannot afford, and without legal aid he would be denied access to justice.
Fianna Fáil TD Eugene Murphy also questioned how Mr Murphy was granted legal aid.
He said he has received a number of emails from people about the issue and called on Mr Murphy "to account for his actions".
"Any member of this house is well paid, well looked after on good expenses and Paul Murphy may make the case that he is part of a political party. If that is so let his political party pay for his aid in the courts and not be coming back on the taxpayer to seek this assistance."
Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell called on Mr Murphy to refuse free legal aid describing it as a "disgrace" that he applied for it in the first place.
"I don't blame the judiciary, however the precedent is appalling."
Mr Murphy added: "There has been a lot of nonsense spoken about this issue by people in the media and now repeated inside the Dáil", because he said people "know nothing about how the legal aid system works".
He took particular issue with Mr Farrell who earlier described his application for legal aid as "a crime on the taxpayer who are footing the bill for the defence".
Mr Murphy asked him to withdraw the remark and was critical of attempts by TDs to "use a debate on gangland killings to make cheap unfounded allegations and criticism of me in relation to legal aid".
Mr Murphy said he applied for legal aid after his case was moved from the District Court - where he did not apply for legal aid and paid his fees - to the Circuit Court, where he said the trial could potentially last for up to six weeks and the fees could be over €100,000.
He said: "I could take an entire TD's salary for the next year, not spend any of it and I still couldn't afford to pay those legal fees.
"I would therefore be denied access to justice".
