The Gazette 1964/67

future the Estate Duty Office will be moved to the new office buildings at present in course of erection near Iveagh House in Stephen's Green.

Valuation Appeals The following resolution was adopted :—

That the Council of the Incorporated Law Society being of opinion that the proposal to transfer the present jurisdiction of the Cir cuit Court in relation to appeals against the decisions of the Commissioner of Valuation to non judicial tribunals or arbitrators is contrary to the public interest, requests the Minister for Local Government not to accept the proposal. The Council urge the Minister to retain the present system whereby the Circuit Court having jurisdiction where the property is located should continue to exercise final appellate jurisdiction on questions of fact arising out of valuation appeals, with a further right of appeal from the Circuit Court limited to questions of law only. Medical Witnesses' Expenses A deputation was appointed to ask the Irish Medical Association for a conference to discuss difficulties arising out of the attitude of certain medical practitioners in relation to furnishing medical reports and attendance as witnesses in Court proceedings. PROCEEDINGS IN DAIL EIREANN — REFERENCE TO SOLICITOR The Dail reports of May 25th contain references made by the Minister for Lands to a solicitor who acted for an owner of property which was acquired by the Irish Land Commission for the sum of £11,000. According to the report the Land Commission took possession of the lands on 1st February, 1965, and placed £11,000 6 per cent Land Bonds to credit. The bonds had not been allocated by 25th May, 1966 and the owner was stated to have lost about £1,000 as a result of a subsequent fall in the market of the bonds. In reply to questions raised by a deputy in which adverse statements were made by the deputy affecting the Land Commission, the Minister for Justice was reported as having said, inter alia, "The purchase money in this case could have been allocated by the owner in February, 1965. At the time 6 per cent Land Bonds were quoted at 98. They did not fall substantially until the following June. In many ordinary transactions between solicitors rulings on title totalling from 25 to 42 had to be entered. In this case there were only four rulings which had to be answered. What is the owner's solicitor paid to do? He is 18

Finance Act 1965 A special

sub-committee, the President with Messrs. G. G. Overend, P. G. Moore and the Secretary, was appointed to re ceive communications made from members of the Society on difficulties experienced in the oper ation of the Finance Act 1965, and in particular in relation to the special provisions for taxation of property development. Members of the Society are requested to send communications to the Secretary. Adverse Reference to a Solicitor in the Dail The attention of the Council was drawn to a statement made by the Minister for Lands in Dail Eireann, as reported in the Dail debates of May 25th. In a reply to a question by an opposi tion deputy it was suggested that payment of land bonds to a widow had been delayed due to the default of a solicitor. It was decided that the Secretary should make enquiries as to the facts and the identity of the solicitor, that if the solicitor is at fault the Soc iety ought to reprimand him for the unfavourable publicity given to the profession, that if he is not at fault the matter should be taken up by the Society with the Minister for Lands. June 16th: The President in the chair, also present Messrs. Richard Knight, Ralph J. Walker, Brendan A. McGrath, Joseph P. Black, Gerard M. Doyle, W. A. Osborne, Thomas H. Bacon, Rory O'Connor, Peter E. O'Connell, James R. C. Green, Francis J. Lanigan, G. J. Moloney, T. V. O'Gonnor, George A. Nolan, James W. O'Donovan, Patrick Noonan, Thomas J. Fitz- patrick, John Maher, Peter D. M. Prentice, G. G. Overend, Desmond J. Gollins, Reginald J. Nolan, Eunan McCarron, P. C. Moore, R. A. French, John J. Nash, John Garrigan. The following was among the business trans acted : Accountants' Certificates Draft regulations submitted with explanatory memorandum and ballot paper ware approved. It was decided that the draft regulations and ballot paper should be issued immediately with a covering letter to each member from the President. consisting of