Written Answers Nos. 548-572
548. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of professional truck or bus drivers who were detected as specified persons driving in excess of the 20 mg legal alcohol limit during 2013. [25273/14]
View answerI am informed by the Garda authorities that a number of categories of driver are classified as 'specified persons' in respect of alleged drink driving offences under sections 4 and 5 of the Road Traffic Act 2010, including learner, newly qualified and professional drivers. I am further advised that in recording the detection of drink driving incidents under those sections, An Garda Síochána does not distinguish between the categories of such drivers. I can, however, inform the Deputy that a total of 187 fixed charge notices were issued and 1,139 summons applied for in 2013 in respect of drink driving offences under the above sections by all such drivers.
550. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of outstanding warrants nationwide on PULSE as of this date; if she will provide a breakdown by bench, penal and committal warrants; of those outstanding if she will list in tabular form the year they were issued; the number of outstanding warrants by type in each Garda district; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25295/14]
View answer551. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the administrative efforts made in the past two years to reduce the number of outstanding warrants, in particular penal warrants; the number of times the warrants working group has met; the persons who sat on that working group during that time; the recommendations it has made; if those recommendations have been implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25296/14]
View answer552. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of warrants issued in the past 12 months that were executed; the number that were executed within three months, six months or 12 months respectively; the number of the remainder that are outstanding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25297/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 550 to 552, inclusive, together.
I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matters referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy directly as soon as the report is to hand.
553. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if a person (details supplied) in County Cork is entitled to an Irish passport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25304/14]
View answerWhere sections 6A and 6B of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, are applicable, a child born in the island of Ireland on or after 1 January 2005 has an entitlement to Irish citizenship if, at the time of the birth of the child, one of his or her parents had, during the period of 4 years immediately preceding the person's birth, been resident in the island of Ireland for a period of not less than 3 years or periods the aggregate of which is not less than 3 years. Periods of unlawful residence, periods of residence which were for the sole purpose of having an application for refugee status determined or periods of residence where permission was granted for the purposes of study are excluded from the determination of periods of reckonable residence. Entitlement of a child to Irish citizenship is determined by the Passport Office following receipt of an application for a passport on the child's behalf.
Where a child born in the State did not at birth have an entitlement to Irish citizenship, the parent or guardian or person who is in loco parentis to the child may lodge an application for naturalisation on behalf of the child if and when the conditions for naturalisation are satisfied.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
554. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding citizenship in respect of persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25416/14]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that valid applications for a certificate of naturalisation have been received from the person referred to by the Deputy, on behalf of her minor children.
The applications are currently being processed and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
555. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of funding allocated to an organisation (details supplied) for each year since the commencement of the project; if the Department obtains a comprehensive financial report each year from the organisation; if the assets are listed in the name of the Department or the organisation; if the funding granted by the Department is allocated thereafter on the basis of set guidelines; if the Department is satisfied that these guidelines are being observed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25460/14]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that there have been no instances of my Department providing funding to the organisation concerned.
556. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a complaint to the Garda Commissioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25483/14]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. I will be in contact with the Deputy when this information is to hand.
558. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Justice and Equality regarding the recent closures of languages schools and the residential status of those impacted, if any temporary measures are in place for people who had paid their fees and were awaiting a certificate from the college to show they were a student, but never received the certificates because the school closed, and now their visas have expired and cannot be renewed without a certificate to show they are attending classes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25511/14]
View answerFollowing the recent closure of a number of private sector English language colleges, my Department has responded by publicly reassuring all affected students that their immigration permissions will not be adversely affected by the closures. All affected students are considered to be on an academic holiday until 1 September next. For those students whose immigration permission has lapsed, my Department is working with the Irish Council for Overseas Students (ICOS) to arrange for their permissions to be extended to 1 September.
In addition, my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, and I have established a task force to assist genuine students affected by these private sector college closures. Jointly chaired by the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Justice and Equality, the task force’s first priority is to establish the number of genuine students affected by the closure of private sector colleges in recent weeks, how many students have been accommodated in other colleges within the sector and what more can be done to assist international students. The work of the task force is at an advanced stage.
559. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the measures she will take to strengthen the law to ensure that no person found guilty of a road traffic offence can avoid penalty points by paying a fine or contributing to a poor box. [25513/14]
View answerRoad traffic legislation which is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, provides that if the fixed penalty notice is paid the driver is liable for the penalty points attaching to the offence. If the driver does not pay the fixed penalty notice and the case goes before the court, the number of penalty points is automatically doubled in the event of a conviction. There is no provision in the legislation to allow for a fine or payment to the poor box in lieu of penalty points on conviction.
560. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the total amount of capital spending on construction projects carried out by the Department and by bodies operating under the responsibility of the Department since 2008 and to date in 2014; if she will provide the information on an annual basis in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25542/14]
View answerDetails of capital spending on construction projects carried out by my Department from 2008 to date are set in the following table. The Deputy should note this expenditure includes the Irish Prison Service, Probation Service and Courts Service.
|
Year |
Total amount of expenditure (€) (M) |
|
2008 |
61.8 |
|
2009 |
50.2 |
|
2010 |
31.1 |
|
2011 |
29.0 |
|
2012 |
21.3 |
|
2013 |
13.5 |
|
2014 to date |
4.9 |
I also wish to inform the Deputy that the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS) - Community Programmes has no capital spending on construction projects for the years 2008-2014. For the years 2008-2011, the IYJS - Centres for Young Offenders did have a capital budget. This responsibility and budget transferred to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs with effect from 1 January 2012. The overall capital spending for Centres for Young Offenders for 2008-2011 is set out in the following table. Some of this spending went to the Office of Public Works. The construction element is not readily available.
|
Year |
Total amount of expenditure (€) (M) |
|
2008 |
2.5 |
|
2009 |
2.7 |
|
2010 |
3.2 |
|
2011 |
Nil |
561. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of the €62 million designated to the justice group for direct Exchequer capital funding according to the Government Estimates for 2014 which is expected to go towards construction-related projects; if she will list the projects; if she will provide an update on any of these projects; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25558/14]
View answerI would like to inform the Deputy that of the €62 million allocation, approximately €33.5 million is earmarked for construction related projects in 2014. The majority of these projects relate to the Irish Prisons Service and include among others, major projects such as Mountjoy refurbishment, Wheatfield Prison, Cork Prison and Limerick Prison.
562. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to introduce an e-vetting system; the speed with which it will cut the waiting times for persons on a community employment scheme awaiting Garda clearance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25577/14]
View answerThe development of an e-Vetting solution is under way and this will facilitate the processing of applications in an e-format, thus removing the current time-consuming process of managing applications received manually. It is anticipated that E-vetting will streamline the entire vetting process and greatly contribute to reducing processing times for vetting applications.
Based on the end of May 2014 position, the average processing time for Garda vetting Community Employment applications is four weeks reduced from ten to twelve weeks since April 2013.
563. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the overall number of members of An Garda Síochána in the State; the number of gardaí broken down in tabular form per district; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25590/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources.
I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of An Garda Síochána on 30 April 2014, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 12,992. There are also 1,192 Garda Reserves and over 2,000 Civilians. The strength of An Garda Síochána broken down by District on the same date, was as set out in the following table:
|
Division |
District |
Strength |
|
Cavan/Monaghan |
Baileboro |
65 |
|
Carrickmacross |
76 |
|
|
Cavan |
100 |
|
|
Monaghan |
90 |
|
|
Clare |
Ennis |
223 |
|
Kilrush |
64 |
|
|
Cork City |
Anglesea Street |
340 |
|
Gurranabrahar |
95 |
|
|
Mayfield |
121 |
|
|
Togher |
123 |
|
|
Cork North |
Fermoy |
84 |
|
Mallow |
100 |
|
|
Midleton |
113 |
|
|
Cork West |
Bandon |
104 |
|
Bantry |
46 |
|
|
Clonakilty |
55 |
|
|
Macroom |
68 |
|
|
DMR East |
Blackrock |
188 |
|
Dún Laoghaire |
215 |
|
|
DMR North |
Balbriggan |
84 |
|
Ballymun |
233 |
|
|
Coolock |
218 |
|
|
Raheny |
167 |
|
|
DMR North Central |
Bridewell |
167 |
|
Fitzgibbon Street |
197 |
|
|
Store Street |
256 |
|
|
DMR South |
Crumlin |
163 |
|
Tallaght |
250 |
|
|
Terenure |
150 |
|
|
DMR South Central |
Donnybrook |
170 |
|
Kevin Street |
202 |
|
|
Pearse Street |
300 |
|
|
DMR West |
Blanchardstown |
353 |
|
Clondalkin |
198 |
|
|
Lucan |
162 |
|
|
Donegal |
Ballyshannon |
109 |
|
Buncrana |
67 |
|
|
Letterkenny |
157 |
|
|
Milford |
71 |
|
|
Galway |
Ballinasloe |
56 |
|
Clifden |
33 |
|
|
Galway |
264 |
|
|
Loughrea |
82 |
|
|
Salthill |
71 |
|
|
Tuam |
69 |
|
|
Kerry |
Killarney |
103 |
|
Listowel |
49 |
|
|
Tralee |
145 |
|
|
Kildare |
Kildare |
117 |
|
Leixlip |
80 |
|
|
Naas |
113 |
|
|
Kilkenny/Carlow |
Carlow |
107 |
|
Kilkenny |
120 |
|
|
Thomastown |
58 |
|
|
Laois/Offaly |
Birr |
43 |
|
Portlaoise |
150 |
|
|
Tullamore |
89 |
|
|
Limerick |
Bruff |
46 |
|
Henry Street |
323 |
|
|
Newcastle West |
78 |
|
|
Roxboro Road |
132 |
|
|
Louth |
Ardee |
37 |
|
Drogheda |
102 |
|
|
Dundalk |
146 |
|
|
Mayo |
Ballina |
55 |
|
Belmullet |
30 |
|
|
Castlebar |
82 |
|
|
Claremorris |
97 |
|
|
Westport |
39 |
|
|
Meath |
Ashbourne |
104 |
|
Kells |
49 |
|
|
Navan |
86 |
|
|
Trim |
45 |
|
|
Roscommon/Longford |
Castlerea |
82 |
|
Granard |
39 |
|
|
Longford |
79 |
|
|
Roscommon |
86 |
|
|
Sligo/Leitrim |
Ballymote |
50 |
|
Leitrim |
99 |
|
|
Sligo |
153 |
|
|
Tipperary |
Cahir |
70 |
|
Clonmel |
73 |
|
|
Nenagh |
82 |
|
|
Thurles |
105 |
|
|
Tipperary Town |
39 |
|
|
Waterford |
Dungarvan |
54 |
|
Tramore |
43 |
|
|
Waterford |
176 |
|
|
Westmeath |
Athlone |
89 |
|
Mullingar |
156 |
|
|
Wexford |
Enniscorthy |
99 |
|
New Ross |
52 |
|
|
Wexford |
102 |
|
|
Wicklow |
Baltinglass |
64 |
|
Bray |
163 |
|
|
Wicklow |
99 |
564. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda drug units in operation; the number of gardaí attached to these units broken down in tabular form per Garda district; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25591/14]
View answerAs identified in the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016, drug law enforcement remains a key priority area for An Garda Síochána and the Government as part of the overall comprehensive approach in tackling the problem of drug misuse. Drugs and organised crime also continue to be prioritised by An Garda Síochána as a core focus for 2014, through An Garda Síochána’s Policing Plan.
I can assure the Deputy that An Garda Síochána continues to pro-actively and resolutely tackle all forms of drug crime. The Garda National Drugs Unit works closely with dedicated Divisional and District Drug Units and other national units, including the Organised Crime Unit and the Criminal Assets Bureau, in targeting persons involved in the illicit sale and supply of drugs.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, including assigning members to Drugs Units, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources.
I have however, been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of the Divisional Drugs Unit on 30 April 2014, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was as set out in the table hereunder:
|
Division |
Strength |
|
DMRSC |
17 |
|
DMRNC |
13 |
|
DMRN |
27 |
|
DMRE |
13 |
|
DMRS |
18 |
|
DMRW |
26 |
|
Waterford |
9 |
|
Wexford |
4 |
|
Kilkenny/Carlow |
6 |
|
Tipperary |
6 |
|
Cork City |
27 |
|
Cork North |
7 |
|
Cork West |
4 |
|
Kerry |
7 |
|
Limerick |
11 |
|
Donegal |
10 |
|
Cavan/Monaghan |
0 |
|
Sligo/Leitrim |
6 |
|
Louth |
6 |
|
Clare |
6 |
|
Mayo |
5 |
|
Galway |
12 |
|
Roscommon/Longford |
7 |
|
Westmeath |
6 |
|
Meath |
4 |
|
Kildare |
2 |
|
Laois/Offaly |
0 |
|
Wicklow |
2 |
565. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of patrol cars in operation, broken down in tabular form per district; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25592/14]
View answerThe information the Deputy is seeking is currently being collated by my Department. I will contact him when it is to hand.
566. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of community alert schemes and Garda clinics that are now up and running in the State, broken down in tabular form per district; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25593/14]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. I will be in contact with the Deputy when this information is to hand.
567. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current vacancies in senior Garda posts; when she will fill these posts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25594/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions and Districts, the various Garda national units and of course Garda Headquarters. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. This necessary ongoing flexibility in the distribution of personnel means that it is not feasible to identify specific vacancies within specific areas of the Force.
At a national level, sanction has been given by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for a maximum strength in each rank. The agreed strengths for ranks above Garda rank are given in the following table, together with current actual strength (as of the end of April 2014). Where current actual strength is below the approved maximum strength, it is the Garda Commissioner who will make the necessary arrangements to have the balance of posts filled through promotion competitions.
Recent promotion competitions were held to fill vacancies at the ranks of Inspector and Sergeant respectively. It is expected that appointments from these panels will be made in the very near future.
|
Rank |
Actual strength |
Approved max. strength |
|
**COMMISSIONER |
1 |
1 |
|
***D/COMMISSIONER |
0 |
2 |
|
A/COMMISSIONER |
8 |
9* |
|
C/SUPERINTENDENT |
42 |
45 |
|
SUPERINTENDENT |
147 |
166 |
|
INSPECTOR |
263 |
300 |
|
SERGEANT |
1,832 |
2,000 |
* to be reduced to 8 on the appointment in 2014 of an Executive Director of Human Resources and People Management
**acting Commissioner
***D/Commissioner is Acting Commissioner
568. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of vacancies in the Judiciary; when she intends to fill these posts; when judges will be appointed to the court of civil appeal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25595/14]
View answerThere is currently one vacancy on the Supreme Court; a further vacancy will arise on the High Court this week with the retirement of a High Court Judge. These vacancies will be filled as soon as possible. There are currently no vacancies in the Circuit Court or the District Court.
The Government approved the drafting of the Court of Appeal Bill as a matter of priority and also agreed to the publication of the General Scheme of the Bill. The intention is that the Bill will be enacted in good time to enable the new Court to be operational by the autumn.
The Implementation Bill will deal with many practical issues in regard to the new Court of Appeal, such as the formal establishment and membership of the Court, the appointment of judges, the organisation of the Court, and provision for the office of Registrar of the Court, among other issues. The current assessment is that the new Court will require 10 judges (9 ordinary and a President). Appointments to the Court of Appeal will be made in accordance with the standard procedures for appointment as a judge.
569. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when she will publish the Cooke report; the actions she will take in view of the findings in the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25596/14]
View answerJudge Cooke's report was forwarded to the Department of the Taoiseach and was published on their website on 10 June, 2014. The key finding of the report was that the evidence did not support the proposition that actual surveillance of the kind asserted in the Sunday Times Article took place and much less that it was carried out by members of the Garda Síochána. The Government has accepted in full the findings and conclusions of the Report.
This Government is implementing a comprehensive programme of reform in the areas of policing and justice in the State. As part of this reform I am bringing forward new legislation to reform, strengthen and clarify the remit of GSOC. The Cooke Report will inform how we will proceed with our reforms. Specific responses to the Cooke Report include;
- The proposed new bill to reform the workings of GSOC will clarify the legal basis under which GSOC can initiate a Public Interest Investigation as well as the thresholds for initiating such an investigation.
- The proposed new bill will further clarify and strengthen provisions relating to the preparation and implementation of protocols relating to cooperation between Gardai and GSOC.
- The Department of Justice and Equality will carry out an examination of the resources available to GSOC.
- Both GSOC and the Garda Commissioner will be asked to provide a response to the Cooke report.
- The Cooke Report will be referred to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality for further consideration and discussion.
I am very grateful to Judge Cooke for his detailed and authoritative analysis of these issues. I look forward to the opportunity on Thursday 19 June, 2014 for the House to discuss the Report in detail.
570. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the total prison population; the number of prisoners in tabular form, broken down by prison; the capacity of each prison within the State; the number of prisoners on bail; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25597/14]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that the number of prisoners in custody on Monday, 16th June was 3,995.
As the Deputy will appreciate the Irish Prison Service must accept all prisoners committed by the Courts into its custody and does not have the option of refusing committals. It should be noted that this is the busiest time of the year for committals prior to the courts being in recess for the summer.
The following table outlines the current prison population broken down by prison and the bed capacity of each prison. It has been presumed for the purpose of answering the question the number of prisoners on bail refers to prisoners on temporary release from prison. Accordingly, the temporary release figure for each prison has been included in the following table.
|
Institution |
Current Prison Population |
Bed Capacity |
% of Bed Capacity |
Number on Temporary Release |
|
Mountjoy (Male) |
600 |
607 |
99% |
150 |
|
Mountjoy (Female) |
128 |
105 |
122% |
65 |
|
Training Unit |
82 |
96 |
85% |
26 |
|
St. Patrick's Institution |
3 |
34 |
9% |
2 |
|
Cloverhill |
431 |
431 |
100% |
23 |
|
Wheatfield |
475 |
550 |
86% |
54 |
|
Midlands |
812 |
870 |
93% |
53 |
|
Portlaoise |
258 |
291 |
89% |
1 |
|
Cork |
226 |
210 |
108% |
131 |
|
Limerick (Male) |
233 |
220 |
106% |
62 |
|
Limerick (Female) |
36 |
28 |
129% |
32 |
|
Castlerea |
345 |
340 |
101% |
56 |
|
Arbour Hill |
142 |
142 |
100% |
0 |
|
Loughan House |
127 |
140 |
91% |
16 |
|
Shelton Abbey |
97 |
115 |
84% |
8 |
|
Total |
3,995 |
4,179 |
96% |
679 |
571. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the legislation she intends to introduce in the Houses of the Oireachtas before August 2014; the legislation she intends to introduce in the Houses of the Oireachtas before December 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25598/14]
View answerThe following Bills are those that I would hope to have published before August 2014 circumstances permitting. Obviously, much depends on other competing legislative priorities and the potential for legal complexities that can arise during the drafting process.
- Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) (Amendment) Bill
- Redress for Women Who Were In Certain Institutions Bill
- Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill
- Court of Appeal Bill
- Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill
The following Bills are being worked on with the aim of publishing them before the end of 2014. I recognise that it is quite an ambitious target to have all 12 Bills finalised in this time frame and obviously closer to the end of the year I will have a clearer idea of the actual number which will be published.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill
- Judicial Council Bill
- Children and Family Relationships Bill
- Criminal Records Information System Bill
- Transfer of Sentenced Persons and Transfer of Execution of Sentences Bill
- Criminal Justice (Cybercrime) Bill
- Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Probation Judgements and Decisions) Bill
- Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Decisions on Supervision Measures) Bill
- Family Leave Bill
- Mediation Bill
- Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Bill
- International Recovery of Child Support (Hague Convention) Bill
572. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will proceed with the inclusion of multi-disciplinary practices in the Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011; when she intends to establish the legal services regulatory authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25599/14]
View answer577. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current status of the Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25662/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 572 and 577 together.
The Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011, which has completed both Second and Committee Stages, is due to commence Report Stage in the Dáil on 17 July 2014. It is intended that the Bill be enacted by the end of this year and that the new Legal Services Regulatory Authority come into operation early in 2015.
Provisions relating to multi-disciplinary partnerships have been a key structural reform objective of the Bill in its initiation and approval by the Government as a General Scheme for drafting. This has remained the case in the Bill's publication in 2011 and in its completion of Committee Stage earlier this year when key amendments were introduced including a number of further enhancements to the regulation of the Bill's new legal business models which include multi-disciplinary partnerships. These new legal business models are intended to provide more competitive business structures for the delivery of legal services to consumers and enterprise alongside those more traditional legal service models that will remain in place. The relevant provisions now stand in Part 8 of the Bill having been in Part 7 of the Bill prior to Committee Stage amendment. I expect to table a number of further amendments to this Part of the Bill along with those other amendments I will be bringing forward for Report Stage. It should be noted that the new legal business models provided for in the Bill, including multi-disciplinary partnerships, will be commenced under the terms of the Bill, only following the completion of the relevant public consultation and reporting processes that will be conducted by the new Legal Services Regulatory Authority.
It should be recalled that the Legal Services Regulation Bill gives continued legislative expression to the commitment in the Programme for Government to "establish independent regulation of the legal professions to improve access and competition, make legal costs more transparent and ensure adequate procedures for addressing consumer complaints". This commitment had, in turn, a long lineage going back as far as reports of the Fair Trade Commission in 1990 and of the Competition Authority in 2006, both of which had criticised the limitations on the forms of business model that can be used by Irish legal practitioners. The Bill is also an ongoing stated objective of the Action Plan for Jobs, the Medium Term Economic Strategy 2014-2020 and the National Reform Plan, respectively. Having been a key undertaking of the EU/IMF/ECB Troika Memorandum of Understanding the Bill is, in succession to the Troika programme, now the subject of a Country Specific Recommendation being negotiated under the EU Semester Process which provides that Ireland should take action during the period 2014-2015 to, "Reduce the cost of legal proceedings and services and foster competition, including by adopting the Legal Services Regulation Bill by the end of 2014, including its provision allowing the establishment of multi-disciplinary practices, and by seeking to remove the solicitor's lien. Monitor its impact, including on the costs of legal services. Take executive steps to ensure that the Legal Services Regulatory Authority is operational without delay and that it meets its obligations under the legislation, including in terms of publishing regulations or guidelines for multi-disciplinary practices and the resolution of complaints."
Detailed preparation of the Bill continues on this basis including in conjunction with the Offices of the Attorney General and of the Parliamentary Counsel. As Minister, I am engaged in an ongoing process of consultation with the professional bodies and other stake-holders. Along with officials of my Department, therefore, and as part of the ongoing preparations for Report Stage on 17 July, I am giving detailed consideration to these latest views and to those further submissions on the Bill that continue to be received. It is the intention that the Government's amendments to the Bill for Report Stage will be circulated sufficiently in advance for their consideration by stake-holders.
