Michael D'Arcy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I understand why the Office of the Attorney General is included in the list of exemptions but the Office of the Chief State Solicitor comes under the Attorney General. I have experience of dealing with the latter office on behalf of an individual who was looking for a matter to be concluded. The office was supposed to issue an opinion to a Minister but I could not even say that I found my interaction with it unsatisfactory because it refused to interact with me. Officials asked me why I was ringing them and told me that I should not be contacting them. Under these circumstances, I found it the most displeasing office of any with which I have ever dealt. I reached the point at which I had to down tools and tell the individual concerned that I could not advance the issue any further. I had no intention of misleading my constituent. That interaction may have been different if the Ombudsman had oversight of the office.

I speak against myself when I say the Attorney General should be exempt in nearly all cases but when this citizen learned that his solicitor was having no success in interacting with the Chief State Solicitor he approached me and other Members. The latter were no more successful in their efforts, however. I am not sure if this Bill is the vehicle for ensuring the Office of the Chief State Solicitor interacts with the public but perhaps certain parts of prescribed bodies should be subject to some form of oversight.