Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan was accused of treating the pay dispute involving solicitors as though it were a game. The Irish Taoiseach defended the minister during the controversy. The Taoiseach said the essence of the reforms would remain because the state owes the reforms to taxpayers. His position was that the changes had become a lasting part of the system rather than a temporary concession. The defense did not settle the underlying dispute over what solicitors should be paid. The political argument has therefore turned into a contest over both the pay arrangements and the government's handling of them. Ministers were pressed to explain whether the reforms are settled policy and whether the concerns of solicitors have been addressed fairly.