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Solicitor daughter of former Fianna Fáil TD struck off roll of solicitors by High Court

Today at 19:00

The solicitor daughter of former Fianna Fail TD John Ellis has been struck off the roll of solicitors by the High Court today.

Orla Ellis, the court heard, was consenting to the order and a number of other orders put before Mr Justice David Barniville, president of the High Court, on Monday.

Last September the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (LPDT) recommended strike off after hearing that deficits totalling in the region of €566,000 had allegedly been allowed to build up in the solicitor’s client account.

The tribunal heard the real deficit figure was likely to be much higher as further claims were expected to be made.

In the region of €666,758 had been paid out to former clients of Ms Ellis from the Law Society ‘s Compensation Fund with over €560,000 recovered from Ms Ellis’s firm to date.

On Monday, Mr Justice Barniville also ordered that some €128,000 be paid to the Law Society as restitution in relation to a deficit in the Society’s Compensation Fund after payments were made to former clients of Ms Ellis.

The judge, who also made a number of orders in relation to costs, also ruled that Ms Ellis swear an affidavit within the next 14 days in relation to her assets.

The judge noted there had been findings of misconduct against Ms Elllis.

Ms Ellis who practised in Co Leitrim did not attend the court hearing but her solicitor, John O’Dwyer, said she was consenting to all the reliefs sought by the Law Society.

The Sunday Independent revealed earlier this year how the Leitrim-based solicitor secured a job with the Department of Social Protection after she was suspended by the High Court in August 2022.

A Law Society investigation into Ellis’ firm found that large bequests left by clients of Ellis to charities such as the Salvation Army and Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind had not been paid as instructed to Ellis.