asked the Minister for Finance the reasons that solicitors from other provinces are been used by his Department to serve civil bills, etc. on people in the west of Ireland; if this is a proper system; and if he will make a statement on this serious matter.
Written Answers. - Serving of Civil Bills.
151.
The Revenue Commissioners have engaged solicitors in private practice to deal with proceedings for the recovery of sums due to the Exchequer. The cases in question are those involving proceedings in the High Court (where the amount involved does not exceed £100,000), the Circuit Court and the District Court.
Two firms of solicitors are at present engaged by the Revenue Commissioners in this operation viz. Messrs. P. J. Brady and Company of Dublin and Messrs. Fitzmaurice Ludlow and Son of Dunmanway, County Cork. With effect from 1 January 1986 defaulters dealt with by those two firms are determined by the counties in which the defaulters reside or have their place of business, as follows:
Messrs. P. J. Brady and Company— Dublin; Kildare; Wicklow; Meath; Louth; Monaghan; Cavan; Roscommon; Westmeath; Offaly; Longford; Leitrim; Kilkenny; Carlow; Laois.
Messrs. Fitzmaurice, Ludlow and Son— Cork; Kerry; Tipperary; Waterford; Wexford; Limerick; Clare; Galway; Mayo; Sligo; Donegal.
The practice of getting solicitors in private practice to deal with court proceedings has been instituted in order to supplement the capacity of the Revenue Commissioners to take action against defaulters.