Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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36. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when she plans to publish the mediation Bill. [35403/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Mediation Bill, which is currently being drafted, will promote mediation as a viable, effective and efficient alternative to court proceedings, thereby reducing legal costs and speeding up the resolution of disputes. It will introduce an obligation on solicitors and barristers to advise any person wishing to commence court proceedings to consider mediation as a means of resolving the matter before embarking on such proceedings. It will also provide that a court may, during any such proceedings, on its own initiative invite parties to engage in mediation and suspend the proceedings to facilitate such a process.

My intention is to publish the Mediation Bill early in the next session and thereafter to proceed quickly with enactment of the legislation.