Mr. Justice John Hedigan:

I was surprised and disappointed to hear that this situation still existed at this stage, though the Deputy may not have been. I cannot speak for the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, but I got the impression that there might be a disconnect between the executive and legal levels in the banks. To that end, at our most recent board meeting we resolved to set up a small group consisting of Mr. Philip O'Leary, a senior solicitor and the chairman of the Legal Aid Board, Professor Blanaid Clarke, and myself. We will meet people from the legal services on an informal basis to find out what is happening, what the problem is, and what we can do to sort it out. I understand the difficulties in-house lawyers have from my own experience both in practice and as a judge. They are told to defend their clients, and then they are told not to, so it is a difficult situation for them. This situation is not without the possibility of a satisfactory resolution. I want this small group to get together in an informal way, try to hammer things out, and figure how to proceed in a way that would prevent executive people feeling like they are at war with the legal staff.