Mr. Daniel O'Callaghan:

On the issue of barristers' fees and the precise fees that are paid, as the Secretary General set out, this issue has been ongoing for some time. The Minister for Justice exercised powers conferred on him under the Criminal Justice and (Legal Aid) Act 1962, and Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) (Amendment) Regulations 2009, 2010 and 2011 to reduce fees. There has been ongoing engagement between the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, the Department of Justice and other stakeholders on this issue over some period of time. As the Secretary General set out, there is a number of initiatives under way, including the general scheme for the criminal legal aid Bill. There is also a criminal legal aid oversight committee, which the Department established in 2016.