Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To answer the question raised by Deputy Wallace, one of the benefits, from the Government's point of view, of establishing an assessor system and a separate office, if the matter is to be dealt with in private, is that it will not be exposed to the embarrassment of significant delays being exposed in public in the Circuit Court. The delegates do not have to comment on the matter.

I express my condolences to Mr. O'Higgins on the death of his former colleague, Mr. Garrett Cooney, SC, who was a very fine barrister and played a very significant part in the development of the legal system. I had the privilege of knowing him and he was a splendid barrister. I think he was also a former chairman of the Bar Councill. He was very formidable.