Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In June 2011, Forfás issued a report, The Cost of Doing Business, which said there was a danger that if structural barriers preventing costs from adjusting are not removed, once an economic recovery kicks in, recent competitiveness gains will be rapidly eroded. The danger is particularly acute on the legal side of things. Various troika reviews have also pointed this out.

The Minister for Justice and Equality came into the House last December 12 months in a blaze of publicity, as is his wont, with the Legal Services Regulation Bill. This time last year, he parked the Bill and we have not seen it since. His boast was that the Bill would reduce legal costs, which are seriously out of kilter in Ireland.

The Minister, Deputy Bruton, spoke about the National Consumer Agency, NCA, engaging with the Law Society of Ireland. I understand the NCA wrote to the Law Society seeking an engagement on initiatives to improve transparency for SMEs. Has the NCA got a response and how stands that initiative?

What is the Minister's Department's view on the Legal Services Regulation Bill? Is it a priority in the 2013 jobs action plan that we get some sort of resolution on lowering costs, as well as providing information? There is no point providing information when costs are out of kilter with international competitors.

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