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

It is provided that the authority may request reports from the monitor from time to time in relation to the performance of his or her functions. The authority is also empowered under the legislation to make recommendations to the Minister for legislative change and the intention is that any recommendations arising from the monitor's attendance at Law Society committee meetings would feed into these recommendations. If one has a committee and makes a decision that somebody should go along to the meeting to monitor what is happening there, it is obvious and a common practice that the person would come back to the executive and say what has been happening at those meetings. Reports would be requested. There is provision for reports to be made. It is common sense that the person will come back and make recommendations on foot of attendance at the meeting. That is what the authority is empowered to ask the person to provide.