Vol. 405 No. 3
238 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Justice if he intends to establish a body of licensed conveyancers as recommended by the 1985 Fair Trade Commission report which envisaged that such a body could be set up within five to seven years of their report.
239 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Justice if he will amend the law on conveyancing to allow graduates in law, other than solicitors, to carry on the practice of conveyancing for reward.
240 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Justice if he will establish a body of qualified conveyancers, other than solicitors.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 238, 239 and 240 together.
I presume that in Questions No. 238 the Deputy is referring to the 1990 Fair Trade Commission report on the legal profession. The position is that the recommendations and conclusions in that report about the provision of conveyancing services are being examined and any decisions reached will be announced in the normal way in due course. I would point out, however, that the commission made no unanimous recommendation about the removal of the present restriction on non-solicitors providing conveyancing services for reward. The commission's chairman favoured the ending of the restriction, but only after the process of land transfer has been simplified. The other commission member did not favour the creation of a new class of licensed conveyancer.
