Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 4, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following:

"2.—The purpose for which this Act is enacted includes the giving effect to the following:

(a) Article 2 of the Additional Protocol to the 1983 Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons; and

(b) Articles 67 to 69 of the Schengen Convention.".

It is always useful to find a "purpose" provision in a Bill. It helps us as legislators and is even more helpful to the lay person, who can find out the purpose of the Bill from reading just one section. I disagree with those who say the Long Title of every Bill is necessarily a good thing — this is simply not true. Each Act should have a "purpose" provision. This would be just a small step towards making our legislation more understandable. I ask the Minister to consider such a provision, not only in this Bill but also in all others.

This amendment is just another effort to try make the Bill more understandable to the ordinary person. When it was put to the Minister on Committee Stage, his argument against it was based on drafting style. If his only reason for not accepting my proposal is drafting style, and if the proposal makes the legislation more understandable from the lay person's point of view, he should accept it.

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