Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)

Discovery is what they were doing and they were paid a fortune for it. It is time that stopped. This legislation will go part of the way to stop it. The legal profession, barristers in particular, have a sin to answer for with regard to the expenses charged. It is very well to criticise it now, but while the tribunal was ongoing the Opposition had a full-time spokesman who digested tribunal transcripts each day and was ready to comment on them in detail each night on radio. The Opposition took great advantage and was delighted with the unspecified allegations being thrown around in the tribunal, allegations that had not been decided on.

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