asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that the Legal Diary of 8th November last was not delivered to the legal profession on the morning of that day; if he will state what inquiries he has made and what steps he has taken following earlier complaints of non-delivery or late delivery of the Diary; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Legal Diary.
55.
Mr. Ryan
I am not aware of the matter referred to in the first part of the question nor have I received any other complaint of non-delivery of copies of the Legal Diary on the date in question.
As indicated in reply to somewhat similar questions by the Deputy on 31st October and 5th November, I consider that occurrences of this nature are matters which the individual subscribers might raise with the publishers either direct or through one of the professional bodies concerned.
Mr. Ryan
Has the Minister made any inquiries from members of the legal profession within his own Party, or from the Incorporated Law Society or elsewhere, to ascertain the veracity of the information in the question?
A spot check has been made among different members of the Deputy's profession and we have been unable to discover any member of the profession who is dissatisfied with the present arrangement. Indeed, if there were dissatisfaction of any magnitude, I would expect that the Incorporated Law Society, with whom we have almost daily contact, would be immediately in touch with us.
Mr. Ryan
The Minister may be assured the Incorporated Law Society are in touch with the Registrar of the High Court about it and can tell him what goes on in his own Department.
56.
Mr. Ryan
asked the Minister for Justice the time on 7th November last at which the publishers of the Legal Diary were furnished by the courts with the information required for the issue of the Diary of 8th November.
The information for the issue of the Legal Diary of 8th November was made available to the publishers by 3.30 p.m. on 7th November.
Mr. Ryan
Is the Minister aware that the Legal Diary was not delivered to the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs until after midnight on that day and that consequently——
It has to be printed.
Mr. Ryan
I know, but it was not delivered in any offices in Dublin city until the afternoon of that day although the members of the legal profession were under a legal obligation to read it before the court assembled at 10.30 or 11 that morning.
The Deputy is not exactly correct in that. I am informed by my colleague, the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs, that the majority of this issue were delivered in the first post and only some of them were held over to the second post.
Mr. Ryan
Would the Minister not appreciate the fact that this is an event which is frequently occurring ever since the change in the arrangement for the printing of the Legal Diary? As there are very serious obligations on the members of the legal profession and, indeed, on the courts in relation to the Legal Diary, would the Minister not give the matter more serious attention than apparently his Department has been prepared to give it up to now?
There is a strong theory around about this matter and it is that it was the pinpricking questions of the Deputy that were responsible for the former firm giving up the publication of this Diary.
Mr. Ryan
That is a theory, as the Minister says. The Minister is trying to be vexatious instead of helpful to the courts and to litigants in the courts.