The Gazette 1967/71

wife's story and will agree that prima facie she has suffered such cruelty, ill treatment or neglect as to warrant her claim to be entitled to live apart from her husband. The problem is how a separation can be brought about and maintained as long as it is necessary for her pro tection. The house is probably in the husband's name and she has no relatives able to provided a home and no resources to find and pay for one. If she does set up a separate home, she has not the strength and determination to keep a bullying husband out, and she will not get any help from anyone unless the husband is very obviously violent. The law being as it is it is quite impractical to provide these wives with aid to obtain a divorce a mensa et thoro in the High Court for obvious reasons and the husband may refuse to sign a Separation Agreement. Here I wish to draw attention to the fact that the remedies available do not seem to be adequate. I fear that politicians, prelates, philanthropists and professionals have not sought the remedy firmly enough or have been shy of implications of facilitating what might be thought of as " easier divorce ". What is involved here is not divorce but a legal separation of the spouses for the protection of the suffer ing members of the family and a speedy simple process is required. The remedy should provide for separation on proof of persistent cruelty incuding drunkeness, neglect or adultery and for custody and access to children. It should also provide for maintenance of depending spouse and children and for rights over the family property including an appropriate transfer of the tenancy of a home to the wife. Provisions for recon ciliation both in the formal way and where the parties informally " come together" would seem appropriate. Effective penalties for invasion of the other spouse's home and right to live separately would be required. Until a new such process of procedure is provided and this situation remedied we will still be faced in the com munity with the consequential grave problem of juvenile delinquency on an ever increasing scale. The Probationary Service of which I spoke six months ago is entirely inadequate. Reform is urgently required and I exhort the Government to give serious consideration to this situation. Possibly this is a matter which might be referred to the Commission on Women's Status, which the Taoiseach intends to establish. Whilst the increase in the amount payable on Main tenance Orders recently promised by the Minister for Justice will be welcome, it will not provide at all for the case where the husband has not left the home and the wife cannot arrange or afford to leave and cannot sustain a case of constructive desertion while living in the same house with him. Often the wife will not leave because she will not desert her children. TOWN PLANNING NOTICES The procedure whereby a single small Notice of intention to build is inserted in the newspapers, not necessarily even the local newspaper, is deemed sufficient to enable permission to be sought and duly obtained for such work is quite inadequate for the protection of neighbours. It is a grave state of affairs that a man's property may be drastically reduced in value merely because he failed to observe a minute notice in some obscure oosition in a newspaper. This matter should be remedied immediately.

SOLICITORS' BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION, THE SOCIETY OF YOUNG SOLICITORS AND BAR ASSOCIATIONS I earnestly appeal to all members of the Society to join the Solicitors Benevolent Association, The Society of Young Solicitors and their local Bar Associations. The need for ever increasing support to these bodies is obvious, and if I single out the Solicitors' Benevolent Association, it is merely because .of my personal close connection with that Association, as its Secretary, for so many years. Who can blame me for availing of this particular opportunity to make a special appeal for support through subscrip tions or donations. There are many other matters which cannot be touched on as time does not permit and I beg to be excused for any apparent shortcomings. I conclusion I wish to thank most sincerely the two Vice Presidents, who were so loyel to me and who were always at my beck and call. To the ever helpful and hard working Secretary, Mr. Plunkett, and to the Assistant Secretary, Mr. Finnegan, and to Mr. Healy and Mr. Gavan Duffy, and indeed the entire hard working and efficient staff I give my sincere thanks. Finally, on behalf of the Profession, I wish publicly to acknowledge the great services rendered to the Professicn by the members of the Council of the Society, who have continued to give so much of their valuable time in the service of all. While the Report was debated, the following members made the following suggestions. Mr. J. R. Quirke—That the Revenue Commissioners be requested to discontinue small stamp duties as the inconvenience of collection and payment is dis proportionate. Mr. I. Q. Crivon—That a compul sory professional negligence insurance scheme be introduced. Mr. J. F- Buckley—That the Society's Gazette be improved. Mr. Dennis Greene spoke on the inadequacy of separation allowances to married women. Mr. Desmond Moran—That wit nesses in court proceedings should be excluded from the Court room until called to give evidence. The President stated that all these matters would be considered by the Council. The motion for the adoption of the report was put to the meeting and passed unanimously. 8. Thursday 19th November 1969 was appointed as the date of the next annual general meeting 9. On the motion of Mr. Denis Greene. Mr. James R. C. Green Vice-President took the chair. Mr. Greene then proposed a vote of thanks to the President for his services to the Society during the past year. The motion was carried with acclamation. The President returned thanks and the Chairman declared the meeting closed MEETING OF THE COUNCIL November 20th: The President in the chair; also present Messrs. Ralph J. Walker, Desmond J. Collins, Senator J. J. Nash, Brendan A. McGrath, 70