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vaious offences, and it is estimated that another 2,500
are under supervision at home for delinquency. The
numbers of State departments and other Bodies dealing
with these children, all of whom can safely be classified
as "deprived", is far too many. The Department of
Health, the Department of Education and the Depart-
ment of Justice, between them take responsibility for
reformatories, industrial schools, children's homes, the
probation service, the special prison for juveniles and
the Juvenile liason scheme of the Gardai, while volun-
tary Bodies like the Adoption Societies and the Society
for Prevention of Cruelty to Children do their share in
the provision of adoptive parents and in trying to keep
a broken home together. Could anybody but a lunatic
suggest that in this tortuous way we are realistic in
coping with this problem of our deprived children;
could anybody but a fool suggest that with all these
Services so inextricably interrelated, immediate action
is not needed in the joint spheres of overall planning
and legal reform under the aegis of one responsible
Minister and department.
Planning and Development Legislation
Another important subject requiring legal reform
without delay is our planning and development legisla-
tion. Proposed amendments have been submitted by
An Taisce, the Dublin Civic Group and other Bdoes
and they have recently paid our Society the compliment
of asking us to consider them. Too many gaps exist in
our existing legislation through which those with little
or no regard for the beauty of our countryside or the
dignity of our cities can all too easily wriggle, and the
manner in which these gaps can be plugged is surely
a job that should be happily undertaken by our Society,
and I have no hesitation in recommending to your
newly elected Council that this is a matter that should
be placed high on its list of priorities.
The Provincial Solicitors' Association has recently
drawn my attention to another matter which, though of
relatively small importance, does need to be changed.
I refer to the provision in the Superior Courts Rules
which makes it incumbent on any Solicitor who seeks
to have a High Court Action remitted for hearing to
the High Court on Circuit in a particular area to bring
a Motion to remit therefor. Surely it should be suffi-
cient for the purpose to lodge a simple form of Consent,
signed by both the Plaintiff's and Defendant's Solicitors,
in the Central Office of the High Court and have the
case remitted without incurring the unnecessary expense
that the present system entails.
Kings Hospital
Members are constantly enquiring as to what is
happening about Kings Hospital, and all I can do at
the moment is to resort to the use of one of our well-
known modern cliches, and say: "Negotiations at the
moment are at a delicate stage". Members may how-
ever be assured that if the Society decides to dispose of
the property, any liability incurred to date is likely to
be amply covered. If, on the other hand, the Society
should decide to move into Kings Hospital, they will
ensure, before doing so, that the new building will be
fully adapted to the Society's needs, and that the cost
of such adaptation and of the future running costs of
Kings Hospital will be within the Society's resources
and will not entail the imposition of any levy on our
members.
I would like to conclude with an expression of my
sincere appreciation of the services given by my two
vice-presidents and members of the Council during the
year and also the secretariat and staff of the Society.
Without this support I could not have discharged the
duties of my office and I would like to take this oppor-
tunity of placing on record my sincere appreciation of
everyone who has helped me in carrying out what has
proved to be an onerous task. We are very sorry to lose
the services of Mr. Finnegan who has notified us he is
leaving at the end of the year, and we wish him every
success in the future.
The motion was seconded by Mr. T. V. O'Connoi.
Discussion
A discussion followed in which Messrs Crivon,
Buckley, McCarron, O'Beirn, T. C. G. O'Mahony and
Carroll Moran participated.
Amongst the points raised were :
Mr. Crivon deprecated any easing of restrictions in
regard to apprentices on the ground that they had no
practical experience when they qualified, and he was
against admitting those who were not fully trained.
The Society should press for more urgent law reform,
and it was essential that the costs of litigation should
be kept up with the cost of living.
The President, in reply, stated he was opposed to a
closed shop for apprentices, and that there was undue
delay on the part of statutory bodies in recommending
increases in costs.
Mr. John Buckley was pleased to note that it was
not proposed to continue to lecture to apprentices in
this hall, where the acoustics were unsatisfactory. He
asked whether it would be possible to separate the
registration functions of the Society from its other
functions.
Mr. T. C. Gerard O'Mahony mentioned Auditor's
Certificates and EEC Regulations; the President
pointed out that these regulations would shortly be
available in the Library.
Mr. Carroll Moran suggested that Latin could hence-
forth be dispensed with as a subject in the Preliminary
Examination.
The President replied to the various points raised.
The motion for the adoption of the report was put to
the meeting and carried unanimously.
Thursday 29th November 1973 was appointed as the
date of the next Annual General Meeting.
Mr. Buckley then moved that the senior vice-
President take the chair. Mr. T. V. O'Connor took the
chair and Mr. Buckley proposed a vote of thanks to
the President for his distinguished services to the
Society during his year of office. Mr. O'Connor, vice-
Preident, associated himself with the motion which
was then put to the meeting and carried with
acclamation.
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