Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I concur with the calls for a debate on the implications of recent events pertaining to labour law, particularly the serious consequences which may have occurred with periwinkle pickers. This underscores a more serious problem of how immigrant workers can be integrated into the system while ensuring the competitiveness of industry on one hand, and fair treatment for both immigrant and domestic workers on the other hand.

With regard to the working world, there are instances of both overregulation and underregulation. One sector in which there is underregulation is the legal profession. Approximately three or four weeks ago a debate was advocated on this matter because of certain controversies. The time has come to ensure that self-regulation in these areas is discontinued and that independent regulation comes about. I ask the Leader to consider having a debate on the regulation of solicitors and barristers. The Law Library and the Law Society should not be the determining bodies on progress in the matter. Admission to the professions, which in turn has adverse consequences for competition, is controlled.

There is also a need for the Judiciary to be accountable to an independent body. Other countries have established independent commissions to deal with the conduct of their judiciaries and other issues of major public concern, such as consistency of sentencing. The time has come for us to adopt best practice in these areas.