I move amendment No. 9:
In page 8, subsection (3)(b), line 3, after “with” to insert the following:
", or attended a course of instruction or sat an examination for the purposes of seeking to comply with,".
Tá leasuithe Uimh. 9 agus 17 ar aon dul, ach tá leasú Uimh. 23 difriúil. Amendment No. 9 is technical, in a sense. It is required to deal with current students, such as those who sat the Irish examination in January of this year. Let us say, for argument's sake, that this Bill becomes law in March 2008. If a person passed the Irish examination in January 2008 but is not notified of that result until April 2008, technically he or she may not have complied with section 3 of the 1929 Act prior to the passing of this Act. Under section 1(3)(b) of this legislation, a person who attends the Irish course in 2008 and 2009 but fails the examination will be required to attend Irish lectures for a second time, because they did not pass the examination, even though they will not have to sit a further examination. I have outlined two anomalies that theoretically could arise during the transitional period. If accepted, amendment No. 9 will change section 1(3)(b) so that it states:
Any person studying for the degree of barrister-at-law who, before the repeal by this Act of the Legal Practitioners (Qualification) Act 1929, had complied with, or attended a course of instruction or sat an examination for the purposes of seeking to comply with, section 3 of that Act shall be deemed to have attended the course referred to in paragraph (a).
The amendment seeks to remove any anomalies that could arise during the transitional period.
Amendment No. 17 seeks to amend the proposed new subsection 2A(c)(ii) of section 40 of the Solicitors Act 1954 so that it reads:
Any person undertaking the Professional Practice Course who, before the commencement of section 2 of the Legal Practitioners (Irish Language) Act 2007, had passed both of the examinations in the Irish language provided for by regulations made under subsection (3) of this section, or attended a course of instruction or sat an examination for the purposes of those regulations, shall be deemed to have attended the course referred to in subparagraph (i).
We are trying to remove any anomalies in the legislation.