The Gazette 1946-49

GAZETTE

APRIL 1 9 88

CORRESPONDENCE

The Editor,

Law Society Gazette,

Blackhall Place,

Dublin 7.

Dear Sir,

Single European Act

I read with interest (Dec. issue) as

regards making a consultative room

available on six occasions at a total

cost of £72 (to fulfill the Society's

neglected duty) on above, that "Mr.

Margetson, Chairman of the

Finance Committee, commented

that it was not the practice of the

Society to provide rooms free for

any activity".

Presumably therefore, he and his

Committee will insist on payment

of the cost of providing the

Presidents Hall, and extensive other

rooms,

including

generous

hospitality to those sponsoring the

Irish Times Debate, held in the Law

Society premises on 5th February

1988. This will bring in much

needed income to the Society in

excess of £1,000.

I hope to deal in your next issue

with the other matters concerning

the above and purported to have

been dealt with at the A.G.M.

Yours sincerely,

T. C. GERARD O'MAHONY

Solicitor,

22 Merrion Square,

Dublin 2.

The Editor,

Law Society Gazette,

Blackhall Place,

Dublin 7.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Re: Pilot Study

for Self Assessment

I would like to bring you up to date

on developments in the pilot study.

To date well over 200 returns have

been received and reports from the

participants in the scheme have

been very favourable especially in

regard to the speed with which

such returns are processed.

Because of the encouraging

experience to date it has been

decided to continue to operate the

scheme during 1988. As well as

giving more practitioners an

opportunity to join the scheme the

extension will provide the Branch

w i t h more i n f o rma t i on and

experience for evaluating the

scheme and for d r awi ng up

proposals for s t a t u t o ry self-

assessment. If you have already

participated in the Pilot Scheme we

would like to encourage you to

continue. If you have not we would

like to urge you to do so.

Three wo r kshops on the

completion of self assessment

returns have been held in Blackhall

Place and four other sessions are

planned for Cork, Limerick, Galway

and Sligo. These sessions will be

advertised by the Law Society in

due course. Most solicitors who

have attended have found them

extremely helpful.

The self assessment team

consists of:

Andrew McLaughlin, ext. 2241

Eddie McCarthy, ext. 2247

Lucy Durnin, ext. 2018

Ray Williamson, ext. 2244.

Copies of self assessment forms

and instruction booklets can be

obtained f r om Capital Taxes

Branch, Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.

Any member of the team will

be happy to deal with any problems

or enquiries about self assess-

ments.

Yours sincerely,

NDREW

CLAUGHLIN

Assistant Principal Officer,

Self Assessment Unit,

Capital Acquisitions Tax,

Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.

The Editor,

Law Society Gazette,

Blackhall Place,

Dublin 7.

7.4.1988.

Dear Sir,

Re: Corporate Publicity

On Thursday last, the 24th March

1988, the Dublin Solicitors Bar

Association held a meeting for its

members to which the President of

the Law Society, Mr. Thomas Shaw

was invited. The meeting was very

well attended.

A comprehensive and frank

exchange of views took place,

particularly on the issue of the pro-

posed new Building Society Bill and

the intention of the Minister for the

Environment to allow the societies

set up their own conveyancing

shops.

Most members by now will be

aware that this Association has

made public its views that this

proposal is not in the interest of the

consumer as it would give rise to

a direct conflict of interest and will

not

reduce

the

cost

conveyancing. In the context of the

conflict it was the general feeling

of the members present that

solicitors need to get the message

across to the public that we are the

source of unfettered and unbiased

advice.

To effectively communicate this

message it will be necessary for the

Incorporated Law Society to

undertake a publicity campaign and

inevitably involve large financial

expenditure. It was discovered that

the vast majority of those present

at the meeting, in the order of

75%, were in favour of the Law

Society seeking budget of £100 per

Solicitor to undertake just such a

campaign. It was pointed out by

Mr. David Walley, Chairman of the

Association's Conveyancing Com-

mittee that £100.00 would re-

present only a fraction of the

savings achieved by members since

the i n t r oduc t i on of the Law

Society's mutual defence.

In view of the overwhelming

numbers in favour of this proposal

our association now calls on the

Law Society to,

(1) Prepare an immediate pub-

licity campaign to promote the

independent services which

the profession offers; and

(2) Collect the said sum of £100

per solicitor to provide the

necessary funding for such a

campaign.

This campaign should not be

limited to corporate advertising in

the mass media but should involve

every solicitor in the country

through their offices and with their

clients and social contacts.

It is the belief of our Association

that a strong public awareness of

our independence, as distinguished

from other sources of information

and advice, is necessary not only in

our interest but for the long term

benefit of our clients.

Yours faithfully,

DAIRE M. MURPHY,

Hon. Secretary,

Dublin Solicitors Bar Association.