Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I wish to raise two issues with the Tánaiste. First, I refer to legal costs and legal charges. This week, the Taxing Master expressed his outrage in respect of the costs the legal profession was charging. When will the legal costs Bill come before the Dáil? I urge the Tánaiste and the Government to push this forward because the charges that some legal people are charging are outrageous. There is only law in Ireland for the rich, not for the poor.

Second, I note the Tánaiste once had responsibility for this portfolio and as she is aware, the Department of Social Protection issued letters recently in respect of child benefit. Some people did not respond to the letters because of a change of address or different reasons and, consequently, the telephone lines to the child benefit section are inundated with people trying to contact it. People are obliged to wait on the telephone for two or three hours. What will the Department do with regard to people who need their child benefit payments but who cannot get through to the Department?

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