Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 October 2016
50. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when she will present the report on the establishment, regulation, monitoring, operation and impact of multidisciplinary practices in the State, as per the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32429/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Legal Services Regulatory Authority, which was established earlier this month under S.I. No. 507 of 2016, will be making the reports referred to by the Deputy on the regulation, monitoring, operation and impact of multi-disciplinary practices in the State. The timing and submission procedures for these reports are clearly defined under section 119 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 which will be commenced shortly to facilitate the work which the new Authority is required to do, and to which I would refer the Deputy.
Under section 119(1) of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, the Authority shall, not later than six months following its establishment day, make an initial report to the Minister for Justice and Equality which will provide information in relation to MDPs in other jurisdictions and on the likely consequences and impacts of the operation of MDPs in Ireland as set out in section 119(2). The Regulatory Authority will then, under section 119(3) engage in a public consultation process on the matters covered by its initial report and make a final report. The final report will have regard to the information contained in the initial report and any submissions received under the public consultation process and will also set out the recommendations of the Authority in relation to the establishment, regulation, monitoring and operation of multi-disciplinary practices in the State. This final report has to be made by the Authority to the Minister not later than six months after the making of the initial report.
Under section 119(5) of the 2015 Act the Minister shall cause copies of the initial report and the final report to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas within 30 days of its receipt - this procedure will be followed when the reports are duly made. The Legal Services Regulatory Authority held its inaugural meeting yesterday which represents a historic watershed in the independent regulation of the legal professions. I am, therefore, confident that the reports on multi-disciplinary practices to which the Deputy has referred will be addressed by the Authority, within the statutory time-frames laid out, as a key component of its initial programme of work.
