Great to see the Mediation Bill progressing through the Dail at last.
Hopefully, when enacted, the Bill will help focus attention on the huge benefits to be gained from utilising professional Mediators to resolve disputes across so many sectors.
When approved by the Oireachtas, the Mediation Act will put mediation on a firm legal footing by specifying the principles applicable to mediation and how mediation is to be conducted. The Act will also give the Minister the power to introduce a Code of Practice to which Mediators will be required to subscribe. All in all a very positive move for the mediation community.
The next stage is for the Bill to go before the Justice and Equality Committee in Dail Eireann and I for one am certainly looking forward to hearing how those discussions go.
Brian