Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

He attends the special advisers' meetings where he is able to be au fait with the issues that are arising across Departments and the priorities which may be pushed by special advisers on behalf of various Ministers at these meetings. He also ensures that the Attorney General is au fait with that. He does not provide or issue legal advice to Departments. That function is provided by the advisory counsel in the Office of the Attorney General and by the Attorney General himself.

Mr. Kieran is amply qualified for this position. In addition to his undergraduate and Master's degree, he is a qualified attorney-at-law in the State of New York. He was the first person to hold both the O'Reilly and Fulbright scholarships and was elected by his peers as president of the students union in Trinity College Dublin. He also assisted with legal work on a case in the US Supreme Court for the American National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

There is an administrative benefit in having a person assisting the Attorney General and his office by monitoring and keeping them abreast of what is happening in the matters in question, thereby allowing them to concentrate on their other duties. The Attorney General should have available a person to liaise on matters relevant to the Government legislation committee and other issues of a legal nature.

The Attorney General cannot personally monitor all that is happening in all Departments and the legislative programmes of all Ministers. With everything being dealt with by his office, he must also monitor matters raised in the Dáil and Seanad. Mr. Kieran brings such matters to the attention of the Attorney General to assist him in discharging his obligations. Enormous demands are placed on the Attorney General and his office by departmental requests for information and data. For several years, individuals have been appointed to liaise with the Attorneys General on such matters.

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