Dr. Brian Doherty:

Our role in regard to professional indemnity insurance is in relation to setting the standards for barristers. The role in relation to solicitors was retained by the Law Society once the 2015 Act came into force. I can say that through our engagement with the Law Society over the last couple of years, it has expressed concerns as to the lack of availability of providers and the cost of the premiums. I think it has remedied itself to some degree in the last number of years but it would still be a cause for concern and something the Law Society has commented on in our various interactions with it on that.

I am not sure as to the impact on small-scale firms but I do know whenever insurance premiums were at their height, it was a challenge and a difficulty. In our interactions, not only with the Law Society but whenever we are doing engagement with solicitors and solicitors' groups, it is a topic that gets brought to us frequently. Unfortunately, it is one we have no control over.