Results 1-20 of 3,601 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 208. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the modernisation of the PULSE system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53602/19]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Training (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 209. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí who have received specialist training to interview minors who have been victims of sexual abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53605/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank everyone for coming in here and for their submissions. I have been a barrister for a long time. Usually, I do not like to give speeches about my own assessment but I will give these entities my assessment of how legal costs could be reduced. I want to hear what they have to say in respect of it. It is helpful that we have here before us today two of the largest purchasers of legal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: I understand the point Mr. Mack is making. I suppose third-party costs to a large extent will be determined by the costs that the State or the insurance company is paying out. If there is a medical negligence case or another case the State is involved in, is there some mechanism whereby barristers could tender their price for that case and the State could decide, as in any other procurement...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Who does that? Is it the Chief State Solicitor's office that originally-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: I do not believe it puts out to tender individual cases so that individuals could say, "I'll do that case for X".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: In her submission, Ms Goggin referred to the report done in 2006 and she stated that it was a very anti-competitive profession. My assessment is that it is an extremely competitive place but the reason costs are not coming down is because people are not availing of the full panoply of people who are available and are sticking with the same people most of the time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: They do that already. One can go on the Law Library of Ireland website and check the expertise of a barrister. In my assessment, it is an obligation on the purchaser of the legal service, the person who is spending the money, to look around to see if he or she can get this cheaper. That is what we would do in any market. We look around. If we want to get a flight somewhere, we do not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: That is unfortunate but I believe there is an obligation on purchasers to realise that there are other persons who can do it and who need to be given a chance. The profession is full of young, talented people who do not get an opportunity. I have trained barristers and opportunity is the biggest determinant in terms of whether their career takes off. Some of them get it; some of them do not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: In England now, where they have chambers, it is very hard to get into chambers so we are excluding people at a very early stage, through the English process, by putting people into chambers. It is hard to get into them. If one does not get into a good chambers, one will not get anywhere. I have a couple of questions for the Insurance Ireland witnesses. My first is to Mr. Hassett. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that in recent times, certainly since 2015, personal injury awards are being reduced by the Court of Appeal?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: In the Court of Appeal, and I do not want to quote cases at Mr. Hassett, in cases such as Nolan v. Wirenski, Shannon v. O'Sullivan and Fogarty v. Cox, there has been a line of jurisprudence reducing awards by the Court of Appeal. Does Mr. Hassett accept that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: In his submission, Mr. Hassett stated that legal costs and processes must be seen in the context of the urgent need to reform our cost of claims. He is obviously aware from the Central Bank report that came out two days ago that the cost of motor claims came down 2.5% between 2009 and 2018, so is that statement correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett think the Central Bank report was helpful to this discussion about legal costs and awards?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept the finding of the Central Bank report that the cost of claims per policy has reduced by 2.5% in respect of motor claims between 2009 and 2018?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that figure?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that the claims frequency between 2009 and 2018 has reduced by 40%?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that profits in the industry are at 9%?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: The profits at present in the motor insurance industry are at 9%. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Dec 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Does Mr. Hassett accept that?