Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

As the Minister invented it, he should know all about it. Each passing day and night that he performs as he traverses between television and radio stations, he is overly occupied and overburdened with the degree of blather in which he indulges on a daily basis. I am surprised the Minister does not have the international franchise for it.

The Minister of State also said "it is necessary to be able to demonstrate good title to sell or transfer the land". Many of us are aware of instances of peculiarly registered title. In some cases members of the legal profession were involved in registering that title. It is appalling that situation should have happened, but it has. People a few generations from now will have to pick up the threads again.

In defence of the legal profession, a few years ago I dealt with a case where title was unsafe, the property was never registered and 170 years had passed since a will was made. It was great fun and I am sure the Minister would have relished it. A young newly qualified solicitor tackled it, and she had the title registered and everything in order after six months. The solicitor went to Australia afterwards. I do not know if it was in disgust after going through the title search, but she did an excellent job and left the property with clear and precise title.

I mentioned quangos and lack of accountability to the House and I will finish on that point. Hardly a day passes without a new quango. The Department of Health and Children is a disgrace with no accountability. This Bill introduces another quango and I am sure we will have more of them. I know the Minister personally agrees with me. We are elected to this House and accountable to the public. All the institutions created by this House should be accountable through a Minister——

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