Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I mentioned this in my introductory remarks and it is about a review of the Act. It is a standard legislative review clause, like others in the Statute Book, to provide that consideration will be given by the new regulatory authority as to how well the Act is functioning. It gives the new regulatory authority scope for recommendations to the Minister for Justice and Equality for future legislative amendments to both this Act and the Solicitors Acts if they prove necessary. The authority will be expected to consult with all relevant bodies, as appropriate, when conducting its reviews. That will be discussed later. We have put in a two-year review, with some specific terms of reference that would capture some of the concerns spoken about by Senators earlier. That is just to make sure the new regulatory authority is functioning in the interests of everybody, including consumers. It should make for a competitive regime and people should comply with the provisions. The legislation specifically states that professional bodies are obliged to comply with the changes.