There is so much that is arcane about the practice of law. Why do we need the Law Library? Why do barristers in Dublin all have to base themselves in one antiquated building, which is utterly inimical to modern information technology? Why can they not have offices like everybody else? What sort of mystique are they trying to draw around themselves? There are fine barristers who regularly do fantastic work for people. Why is this mystique associated with barristers rather than engineers or dentists? Why is it taken for granted that an acceptable salary for a barrister after a certain number of years training and experience is greater than that of the Taoiseach? Why do we assume that a barrister who is successful – if we define success in income terms – has to be better than the Taoiseach? While I want people in professions to be paid reasonably well, from where did the notion come that this means such a scale of lifestyle? If that is the sort of money that can be made it is a profession that can accommodate vastly greater numbers.