Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)

In a clever way the Minister has given us a small sop to get our teeth into in order that we can say we got something after our long day at the office. I understand where she is coming from in so far as the 1844 Act is still the basic legislation. It has been amended and incorporated and upgraded in that context. When legislation is being brought forward, we should incorporate the ethos, fundamental parameters and the foundation stones laid down in the old corpus of legislation but exclude references thereto. We should be in a position to update and codify in a new format current legislation to reflect the realities of modern life. I know the Minister is taking legal advice and accept what the lawyers are saying in this context. However, it is time to send out a warning to the Parliamentary Counsel that if legislators are to upgrade legislation and take it into a modern era, antiquated features must be eliminated. The best features of the old legislation should be incorporated into the new Bill and in that way, progress will be made.

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