Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

134. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current stage of the drafting of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority report which is due by October 2018; if he has received interim reports, briefings or updates on the results of this review of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41208/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will appreciate that the Legal Services Regulatory Authority is an independent statutory body and that I do not, as Minister, have a role in relation to its day to day operations.  Under section 34 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 the Legal Services Regulatory Authority is the body which has, by law, been given the specific task of preparing, with the support of a public consultation process, a comprehensive report in relation to the education and training (including on-going training) arrangements in the State for legal practitioners, including the manner in which such education and training is provided. This report is, under the terms of the Act, to be provided to the Minister for Justice and Equality by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority within two years of its establishment day, 1 October 2016.  The Government will, therefore, take account of any specific findings and recommendations that are made on these matters by the Authority in its report including in deciding the appropriate policy responses to be made. Similarly, account will also be taken of any interim report provided under the terms of section 34(6) of the 2015 Act. It is expected that the Authority will commence its work on these matters in due course.

The Deputy will also wish to note that the Regulatory Authority has been deeply engaged in the conduct of public consultations and in the making of reports on a whole series of issues which it remains obliged to deal with under the 2015 Act within set deadlines. For example, on 31 March 2017, the Authority presented its report under section 118 (Legal Partnerships) which was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 28 April 2017. The Authority then submitted a further short report on Legal Partnerships on 31 July 2017 which is in the process of being laid before the Houses. At present, the Authority is finalising two more reports which it is to submit by 30 September 2017. The first follows commissioned research and a public consultation on the establishment, regulation, monitoring, operation and impact of Multi-Disciplinary Practices conducted under section 119 of the 2015 Act while the second follows public consultations on certain issues relating to barristers conducted under section 120 of the Act.

The Regulatory Authority also submitted its first Annual Report on 26 April 2017 which, under the terms of the Act, covers its activities for the quarter since establishment on 1 October 2016 to the end of that year. That report was laid before each House of the Oireachtas on 18 May 2017. It should be noted that in addition to such reports being laid before the Houses, the Regulatory Authority also makes them available, as may be appropriate, on its website www.LSRA.ie along with other useful information.