In so far as my responsibilities are concerned, the Competition Authority's study of the professions started in May 2001, following the OECD report which suggested that competition in the professional services sector in Ireland could be stronger. Following a preliminary public consultation process, the authority announced that the study would cover competition in eight professions in three sectors: engineers and architects in the construction sector; medical practitioners, veterinary surgeons, dentists and optometrists in the medical sector; and solicitors and barristers in the legal sector.