Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has received serious correspondence from the Bar Council and others. They wrote to her on 21 June stating she will recall that in October they withdrew their services because of the lack of confidence in the Government’s commitment to the preservation of the highest standards of administration of criminal justice. That was the first time ever that such action was taken. The barristers are now about to repeat it, for three days this month, owing to their utter frustration over what has happened.

Two thirds of all barristers leave after six years. There is a complete running down of the criminal justice system. A continued exodus of criminal law practitioners has created the conditions for a grave manpower – I would prefer the term “woman power” – crisis in respect of front-line advocacy services. There are several very serious consequences, and these have been outlined. The one that really jumps out at me is the undoubtedly profound effect on the administration of criminal justice and the public good. Skills, confidence and the equivalent of the apprenticeship, namely that involving the master and devil, are all going by the board, and more than two thirds of barristers pull out after six years. There is no independent review, although it was promised by the Government.

See this speech in context