Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

Lawyers may not always be of benefit and may be an encumbrance. There are many cases of claims of various kinds in which the legal fees take up a considerable percentage of the award. I concur with the Tánaiste's point that we need to cut down on this and disagree with the notion that the client is not equipped to manage this process or will be at a disadvantage without a solicitor. The principle of the Bill is that the claimant may have additional advantage in many cases. This needs to be borne in mind in the debate.