Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Although I inadvertently gave the Taoiseach prior notice of one of my two supplementary questions, he did not answer the question I posed earlier. I apologised to the Chair out of turn. I will put the question again. Does the Taoiseach recall that when he launched the report at the introduction of regulatory impact analysis in July last, he also announced the establishment of a new business regulation group and, in doing so, spoke of the burdens on the business community in terms of regulation? What does the Taoiseach understand or believe these burdens to be?

Regarding the business regulation group, will it include members of professional bodies such as barristers and solicitors? Does the Taoiseach not agree that where the legal profession is concerned, the problem is not regulation by the State but the fact that its professionals are self-regulating and a law unto themselves? Does he share the widespread concern at the apparent double charging of residential abuse victims by members of the legal profession? What are the implications of these revelations for regulation of the legal profession? Given that many more issues of questionable practice by solicitors arise, will the Taoiseach require, as I believe to be necessary, that the spotlight of inquiry be turned on the legal profession and the practices of solicitors, rather than accommodating many of them, particularly some for whom greed is obviously one of their primary interests?

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