Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

Exactly. All of them are doing a good job, but while not questioning whether we need them all, is there not some way these offices might be better co-ordinated? I say this in the context of the examination that should be underway as regards the need for the 1,000 or so State bodies we have. I am not proposing the abolition of any of the ombudsman offices as they exist. I understand they are all doing a good job, but nonetheless, there are quite a few. The original Office of the Ombudsman was set up in 1980 on foot of complaints against Departments and some State bodies. There is also a Pensions Ombudsman, an Ombudsman for Children, a Financial Services Ombudsman dealing with the credit institutions, and an Ombudsman for the Defence Forces. In more recent times we have set up the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and there is also the Press Ombudsman. In the context of setting up yet another ombudsman's office, there may be a case for an overall look at the system, to discern whether efficiencies might be achieved, perhaps by some co-ordination of resources. I think in particular of office facilities and administrative back-up. Is there some efficient manner we can ensure the various ombudsman offices can work better together for the future? Obviously, this would have to be carefully teased out, but I see some possibilities there for greater efficiency.

One can anticipate that any incumbent Ombudsman will argue he or she is doing a good job, and I am not disputing that. Recently, I saw the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces had very few staff and was operating out of highly unsuitable offices. Perhaps that Ombudsman might be able to work out of one of the other offices, perhaps under the wing of the main Ombudsman. It is certainly worth examining.

Another issue I want to focus on is parliamentary oversight. The Bill provides for the report of the legal services ombudsman to be laid before the Oireachtas and to be fully considered, presumably by a committee of the House. Now that we, as Members of the Oireachtas, are looking at the affairs of the legal profession, perhaps it might be apposite for us, also, to look at our situation in the context of the operation of the system here. Do we genuinely have a system in the Oireachtas whereby proper and full consideration is given to reports of the type mentioned in this Bill? Is it merely for the record that these reports will be laid before the House or are we going to be able to make a continuing input into the system by having them properly examined and debated? I question that and believe it is probably time for us in this Parliament to look within ourselves and decide whether reform is necessary here, so Members of the Oireachtas may provide a better system to the general public in dealing not just with reports from people such as the Ombudsman, but otherwise.

Overall, this Bill is needed. It is part of a process of reform we have to encourage and was recommended by the Competition Authority. Experience in other countries, particularly in England and Wales, has shown that the Ombudsman system has a positive effect from the viewpoint of engendering more confidence among the general public in dealing with lawyers and in providing a more acceptable complaints system. I am delighted to see the Bill, and I want it to be in operation as soon as possible. As far as the legal services ombudsman is concerned, roll on the Bill and let us have it in operation within the coming months, if we can.

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