An Assembly committee has called for co-operation from all 600 solicitor firms across Northern Ireland in an attempt to crack down on criminals' profit-making enterprises.
Members of an ad-hoc committee set up to report to the Northern Secretary insisted client-lawyer confidentiality should take second place to uncovering the profit-making methods of the North's drug barons.
The Financial Investigations Order, tabled by Mr Peter Mandelson, is seeking to give the RUC and Customs officials more powers to investigate the finances of top criminals. The Law Society of Northern Ireland has, however, expressed concern that the proposed legislation could jeopardise the privilege principle which is the cornerstone of its members' work.
The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission also expressed alarm at the proposed legislation.
Committee members, however, yesterday insisted that urgent action was needed. Meanwhile, the North's Minister for Higher and Further Education told the Assembly Northern Ireland was making "considerable headway" in addressing the skills needs of the economy.
MLAs unanimously passed a motion calling on him to address the problem of skill shortages in the workforce.
Referring to a Northern Ireland Economic Council report last week by Prof Michael Best of the University of Massachusetts, the Minister, Mr Sean Farren, quoted it as saying the local educational system had considerable economic potential. In other business, the Minister of Education, Mr Martin McGuinness, was accused of abusing his position to give a lion's share of resources to Catholic schools by the DUP's Mr Sammy Wilson. Mr Wilson was tabling a motion calling for Mr McGuinness to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of the education budget.
The Minister said his department's capital budget was not determined on a religious or sectoral basis.