The Gazette 1975

would be astronomic. While an architect had been

retained to draw plans for the ground floor, it seemed

to him that it would be necessary to know the cost

of maintenance for the whole building.

Mr. Crivon said that it appeared that no costs were

being incurred by the profession to operate Blackhall

Place. The profession did not have much say in the

matter, and it was only equitable that members should

be given particulars of the full costs incurred. The

Director General said that for the past 4 months, the

Council had had close discussions with the Department

of Justice and with the Board of Works as to the

future of the premises, but no decisions had been taken.

A surplus to the Society's funds has accrued from the

management of investments and from the excessive

number of apprentices; these latter funds will be

allotted to Blackhall Place. During the law terms,

there is a heavy demand for Conference Rooms which

cannot be met, and which ensures a great scope for

developing the present building.

Mr. Crivon asked that, in view of the cost of alter-

ations to the new building which were estimated to

cost £700,000, the members should receive an under-

taking that they would be fully informed about further

developments.

The President referred to the recent resolution of

the Council and stated expressly that further resol-

utions on this subject would be reserved exclusively to

the Council. It was essential for the Society to provide

a suitable building to meet the new educational re-

quirements.

Mr.

F. Kent expressed apprehension at the cost

of putting the premises in structural order.

The

President

stated that the overdraft for the

purchase of the premises had now been paid off, and

that, in respect of future expenditure, they did not

intend to mulct the members unreasonably. The report

was then passed.

The adoption of the Report of the E.E.C. Com-

mittee was moved by Mr. John Jermyn, and seconded

by Mr. John Buckley. Mr. Jermyn congratulated the

members of the Committee, and in particular Mr.

John Fish, for the time they spent in drafting Reports.

He regretted that the Superior Court Rules Com-

mittee had not adopted any procedure under Art. 177

of the Treaty of Rome, by which a case stated from a

decision of an Irish Court to the European Court in

Luxembourg could be provided.

Mr. T. C. G. O'Mahony complained of the maze

of European Community legislation which would pro-

duce a headache for private practitioners. The Report

was adopted.

The adoption of the Report of the Company Law

Committee was proposed by Mr. Anthony Collins,

seconded by Mr. Joseph Dundon and adopted. No

discussion was held in degard to the Reports of the

Library, Publications and Law Clerks. The Report

of the Council was then adopted unanimously.

A Resolution was then moved by Mr. William

Osborne and seconded by Mr. Gerald Hickey to the

following effect:-

1. That bye law 3 of the Society be revoked and that

the following bye law be substituted:—

"That annual membership subscription shall be £10

for a member who has been admitted to the roll of

solicitors for three years or upwards and £5 for all

others or such sum as the Council may from time to

time determine, and shall be payable in advance on 6th

January in each year or on acceptance as a member

provided that a new member accepted and joining the

Society for the first time after 1st July in any year shall

be required to pay only half the appropriate subscrip-

tion to the following January 5th and such new mem-

ber shall be entitled to vote at the then ensuing election

for the Council provided that he shall have been a

member at least one week before the date of the

election."

Mr. Crivon, criticising the wording said that he

thought that Membership Fees should be fixed by the

members at the Annual General Meeting. The President

said he would put forward such an amendment, but

emphasised that it was difficult to change the bye-laws

often.

The following amendment, proposed by Mr. Quentin

Crivon, and seconded by Mr. Anthony Collins, was

passed unanimously:- "That the words — 'as the

members at the Annual General Meeting may deter-

mine' be substituted for the words 'as the Council

may determine' and that the preceding resolution be

amended accordingly". The amended resolution was

then adopted.

A resolution to the following effect was proposed by

Mr. Michael Houlihan and seconded by Mr. John

Nash:—

2. That a new bye law 38A be adopted as follows:—

"38A. Reasonable travelling and out of pocket ex-

penses to be fixed by Council shall be paid out of the

funds of the Society to the members of Council and

of the Council's committees and Committees of the

Society when attending meetings of the Council or

Committees or otherwise engaged on the Socety's

busness."

Mr. Houlihan pointed out that country members

had to absent themselves from essential office work,

and spend at least two or three days every month in

Dublin. Mr. Crivon considered it reasonable that

country members should be re-imbursed their expenses.

Mr. Nash said that the total expenditure under this

head would appear on the Balance Sheet as a separate

heading of expenditure. The Resolution was adopted

unanimously.

The date of the next Annual General Meeting was

fixed for Thursday, 27 November, 1975. The Director

General then spoke about the system of Criminal

Legal Aid, and stated that the Dublin members had

met the Department of Justice, and made certain

suggestions for improvement. Some confidential counter-

proposals have emerged from the Department and are

under discussion.

Mr. Crivon proposed that Mr. Osborne, Senior Vice-

President. take the Chair. Mr. Crivon then thanked

Mr. Prentice, the President, for the valuable services

which he had rendered the Society during the year,

and a resolution to this effect was passed by all with

acclamation.

The meeting then terminated at 4.20 p.m.