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GAZETTE
OCTOBER- 1977
PUBLICATIONS
COMMITTEE
Walter Beatty
Chairman
Bruce St. John Blake
John F. Buckley
Michael W. Carrigan
Garrett P. Gill
Desmond J. Moran
Donough O'Connor
Michael V. O'Mahony
19.1
A very encouraging response was received to the advertisements in the press indicating that the
Society would be prepared to sponsor the publication of legal textbooks and commentaries. The Committee
met monthly to examine the many proposals submitted.
19.2
Forthcoming publications include two books on Planning Law. Currently work is progressing on
the following subjects:
—Corporation Tax
—Conveyancing
—Company Law
—An Office Manual for the particular guidance of staff with no legal experience.
It is hoped that work will commence shortly on a revised edition of the Garda Siochana Guide.
19.3
During the year the Committee was happy to contribute a grant towards the publication of Alan
Shatter's excellent book,
Family Law in the Republic of Ireland,
published by Wolfhound Press, Dublin. The
President of the High Court introduced the book at a reception held by the Committee to mark the
publication.
19.4
A revised edition of the Society's Handbook, incorporating the Society's Charter, the Bye-Laws of
the Society, and the Regulations of the Council to-date, was published towards the end of the year.
19.5
In the area of Government Publications, the Committee is concerned about the non-availability of
bound volumes of the Irish Statutes. It is endeavouring to discuss the re-printing of the Statutes with officials in
the Stationery Office.
19.6
The Society's representatives on the incorporated Council of Law Reporting for Ireland, Peter
Prentice, John Buckley, Thomas Jackson, and the Director General, participated fully in the work of the
Council over the year.
19.7
I would like to thank the members of the Committee for their help during year and in particular,
Mr. Desmond Moran, who attended some of our Meetings in a voluntary capacity and then kindly consented
to join the Committee.
Walter Beatty,
Chairman
LENDING
INSTITUTIONS
Bruce St. John Blake
Chairman
Walter Beatty
Joseph L. Dundon
Gerald Hickey
Michael P. Houlihan
Charles R. M. Meredith
Rory O'Donnell
William A. Osborne
Bruce St. John Blake
Chairman
20.1
The introduction by Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Banks of facilities for long term house purchase
finance gave rise particularly in the case of the latter to certain difficulties in practice which caused concern to
many of our members. In particular the form of undertaking required by Allied Irish Banks from solicitors to
whose clients they afforded bridging facilities had several features which your Society's representatives found
unacceptable. I am pleased to report that following negotiations with the Executive of the Bank and with their
Law Agent, a revised form of undertaking and a new system of making such advances has been introduced. I
would like to record your representatives' appreciation of the courtesy with which these representations were
received by Allied Irish Banks. During these discussions we made reference to the Society's stated policy that in
our view the systems whereby borrowers are bound to pay the lender's costs is not fair or reasonable in so far as
it places a heavy burden of expense on a borrower at a time when he is least equipped to bear it. The Bank is
sympathetic to the view and indicated that consideration is given, and will continue to be given, to the cost of
borrowing in budgeting for the borrowing needs of individual borrowers.
20.2
This matter was also raised in discussions which we had with representatives of the A.C .C., and I am
very pleased to report that they have agreed, at our request, to give an option in future to borrowers to add the
handling charges to the amount of their loans to be paid oflT over the term of the borrowing.
20.3
Another matter of grave concern to our members has arisen during the year in relation to the
computerization of the branch banking system. The technical term used to describe the process is "transit
decimals". The effect of it is that any debit item to your account is back dated for one day and any credit item is
deferred for two days. The result of this procedure is that an account which is never apparently overdrawn may
still give rise to an interest charge and where substantial sums are involved the interest charge will also be
substantial.
20.4
Our enquiries into the matter have led us to the conclusion that this matter can only be dealt with by
the Irish Banks Standing Committee and we have recently submitted representations to that Committee in
strong terms seeking to have the present procedures reviewed. We intend to continue to pursue this matter
vigorously during the coming year.
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