Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

The Legal Services Regulation Bill is on the Order Paper for today. Last week I asked whether the regulatory impact assessment would be published in advance of the resumption of Second Stage and the Taoiseach said the Minister would correspond with me directly. I received a letter from him today which stated that ideally it would be published in advance of the legislation but he hopes after consulting with stakeholders that it will be available prior to Committee Stage.

I raised this at the Whips' meeting last week and I asked whether it would be on the Order Paper for this week. At a meeting I was told it would not be on the Order Paper for this week because the regulatory impact assessment had not been published and for other reasons. I was very surprised to see the Bill which was supposed to be on the Order Paper for today pulled and the Legal Services Regulation Bill replacing it. It is very difficult to plan work for the week and do business when one's legitimate expectation with regard to what will be on the Order Paper is not fulfilled.

I want certainty about the Legal Services Regulation Bill. It is not acceptable to receive the regulatory impact assessment prior to Committee Stage; we need it for Second Stage. Second State has commenced but it should not be resumed until we receive the regulatory impact assessment.

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