Frank Fahey (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 13b:

In page 6, lines 26 and 27, to delete "Local Government Acts 1925 to 2003" and substitute "Local Government Act 2001".

This is a technical amendment to import into the Bill the correct definition of local authorities contained in the Local Government Act 2001. I am grateful to Deputy Lynch for bringing this matter to my attention on Committee Stage.

Deputy Lynch's amendment No. 14 proposes to alter the citation of the Local Government Acts in a different way. The Local Government Act 2001 contains the most up-to-date definition of a local authority. This Act replaced the definition in the 1941 Local Government Act which was used in the interpretation of relevant legislation prior to 2001. I am advised that a reference to the 2001 Local Government Act will be sufficient and is the preferred option from a legal perspective. Government amendment No. 62a deletes a reference to the Comhairle (Amendment) Bill which is unlikely to be enacted before the Disability Bill.

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