Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am not trying to go into combat with my good colleague, Senator Barrett, but my long experience is that for some reason there is a misnomer that barristers are better qualified than solicitors. It takes solicitors six years to qualify, and I have no doubt whatsoever that most qualified solicitors are well capable of doing any barrister's work. In my view some of them are brighter.

Some barristers who specialised went on to become senior counsel and that is fair enough, but the vast majority of solicitors are quite capable of representing anyone in court, and would do a much better job than some of the barristers who may have little interest in the case. With all due respect, there is little between a qualified barrister and a qualified solicitor except for the fact they have gone down different roads. In most countries, including the United States, Australia and European countries, there is no difference between them and they are all lawyers. On this occasion I feel the Minister is correct and I beg to differ with my good colleague, Senator Barrett.