Mr. Liam O'Daly:

Every year, when new barristers enter the Law Library, there will be a few extra applications. They are renewed. The 806 applications refers to 806 extant willing to act for the State. When we last checked with the Law Library, we were told there were approximately 2,300 qualified barristers, not all of whom are practising. Given that barristers who leave the Law Library do not receive P45s, it is unclear exactly how many are practising. Of this population of barristers, 806 have applied to the Office of the Attorney General to do work, which is less than half of the Bar members. Anecdotally, one of the reasons is that we do not pay as much as other types of work, and there is sometimes a disposition to act against the State rather than for it. There are various reasons a barrister may not want to do State work. All the applicants are placed on a panel and, depending on their willingness to act and suitability, and last year, approximately 340 of them received work from the Office of the Attorney General through the Office of the Chief State Solicitor.