Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I cannot give the Deputy an answer to that. Every legal issue is different and every type of legal work that must be undertaken, be it by solicitors or solicitors and barristers and, hopefully also in the future, by barristers alone, can vary. It can depend on not only the issue that must be addressed but also the personality of the client with whom the lawyer is dealing. The Deputy knows that well enough. One cannot prescribe a specific fee that is payable in a range of litigation areas; in other areas it is a great deal simpler. In the making of what I describe as simple wills or the conveyance of a property there are set fees that can be readily identifiable and that people should know they will incur in advance of legal work being undertaken.

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