Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

Senator McDowell's amendment is slightly more inclusive than amendment No. 35 in the name of Senator Coghlan. I am suspicious as to the reason Senator McDowell is passing the buck. Unfortunately, I was not present for the debate on Second Stage when many of the speakers stated that the purpose of the Bill was not to bash the legal profession. The small minority of legal practitioners, whom Senators have at times blamed for contributing to the high cost of claims, does not reflect the full picture in terms of the legal family.

When establishing a board to make decisions which, I admit, relate simply to claims where liability has been conceded, we should nevertheless have room for people who can bring legal expertise to the work of the assessment panel as questions requiring legal input or interpretation will arise from time to time. In appointing representatives from a broad spectrum of fields, it would be inappropriate to exclude representation from the legal field. The amendment tabled by Senator Coghlan calling for representation on the board from the Law Society, as well as the addendum by Senator McDowell as regards the Bar Council, is worthy of the Tánaiste's consideration.