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

This is the section where I accept the amendment proposed by Senator Sean D. Barrett to change the language from "may" to "shall" in regard to the new regulatory authority's discretion to make regulations requiring legal practitioners to main professional indemnity insurance. That is in amendment No. 54. Government amendment No. 51 makes additional provision to the section. It does this to make clear that all configurations of a legal partnership between barristers or solicitors must be compliant with the Bill and have the requisite professional indemnity insurance in place. The amendment arises because it is necessary to cater separately for legal partnerships which consist of solicitors and barristers and those which contain barristers only. We are accepting the Senator's amendment.