Ms Nuala Egan:

I would not like to comment on the rationale for it. I am concerned about the effect of it - it really does have a very significant effect. The work we do is vital. We cannot do it without the staff. Our staff are excellent but we cannot expect to do the flow of work that we need to do if we are not able to pay appropriate rates. That is a real concern of ours at present.

With regard to Dublin in particular, we had a situation in Clondalkin where we have not been able to fill a place for two years. It is a very real issue impacting on our ability to provide representation for our clients.