Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 78a:

In page 78, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following:“Report on operation etc., of multi-disciplinary practices

99. (1) The Authority shall, no later than 6 months following the establishment day, make a report (“initial report”) to the Minister on the establishment, regulation, monitoring, operation and impact of multi-disciplinary practices in the State.

(2) The initial report shall include information on—

(a) the operation of similar practices in other jurisdictions, including the—

(i) length of time in which such practices have been operating,

(ii) legislative and regulatory measures relating to such practice that are in place in the jurisdictions concerned, and the effect of those measures, and

(iii) impact of the operation of the practices on the matters referred to in paragraph (d),

(b) the likely consequences, including the changes to the operation of existing models of legal practice in the State, of the operation in the State of multidisciplinary practices,

(c) the likely impact of the operation of multi-disciplinary practices in the State on—

(i) legal costs,

(ii) the provision of legal services to consumers, and

(iii) the access of persons to legal practitioners,

and

(d) the likely effect of the operation of multi-disciplinary practices in the State on the achievement of the objectives specified in section 12(4).

(3) The Authority shall engage in a public consultation process in relation to the matters specified in subsection (1) and, not later than 6 months after the making to the Minister of the initial report, make a report (“final report”) to the Minister on those matters.

(4) The final report shall—

(a) have regard to the information contained in the initial report, and to any submissions received in the course of the public consultation under subsection (3), and

(b) set out the recommendations of the Authority in relation to the establishment, regulation, monitoring and operation of multi-disciplinary practices in the State.

(5) The Minister shall cause copies of the initial report and the final report to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas within 30 days of its receipt by him or her.”.

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