Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Law Society circulated its observations on the Minister's amendments. The Minister probably got a copy of the document as well. Clarification is required on the matter. I appreciate we are debating amendment No. 1 but it is linked to the removal of section 20 and its replacement. What the Minister is proposing is far broader in terms of a code of practice and oversight.

We are not going to deal with the replacement of section 20 today; we will do so after the summer recess. Will the Minister avail of the summer recess to engage in dialogue with the Law Society and the Bar Council on these matters to clarify them? I appreciate that the Minister wants to ensure that new regulatory authority has oversight and can ensure that professionalism and standards are maintained. The Minister must ensure that but I am asking for a balance to be struck with the needs of the two bodies corporate to deal with indemnity insurance and to demonstrate, as any body must, that their standards are at a level that protects them. This balance needs to be struck. This is a reasonable point made by the two groups. I call on the Minister clarify these matters during the summer recess.

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