The Law Society has said many people do not avail of the services of a solicitor while in detention at a garda station because they cannot afford it.
The society has repeated calls for the financial threshold for legal aid while being questioned by gardaí to be removed.
Last week a conference on the issue heard that just 7% of people have a solicitor present during garda interviews.
Since 2014 the Director of Public Prosecutions has permitted solicitors to attend during interviews in garda stations, but this right has no legal backing.
Ahead of its criminal law review conference, the Law Society's Director General Ken Murphy said gardaí are required to inform someone of their entitlement to consult a solicitor but that is as far as the obligation goes.
The Criminal Justice Act 2011, which has yet to be fully implemented, states that a person has a right to a consultation before questioning begins.
Mr Murphy said the Law Society was again calling for equal and unrestricted access to legal advice during detention by removing the financial threshold for legal aid entitlement.
He said many people cannot afford a solicitor yet will not qualify for legal aid.
The society has also recommended raising awareness of the challenges experienced by solicitors when providing legal advice at a garda station.
The Law Society also said many of those detained by gardaí will not have their own solicitor.
The society has created an online public database of solicitors available to attend at garda stations.
Mr Murphy said the webpage has had more than 5,000 visits since its launch and has recently been update to cover those detained under a European Arrest Warrant.
He added: "The experience of arrest and detention at a garda station is unsettling for most people and solicitors often find they are playing an emotional support role as much as a legal representation role."
