Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

Amendment No. 2 would change the wording as set out in the first Schedule to the Act to "the text of which in the English language is set out for convenience of reference in the First Schedule to this Act". The amendment seeks to change the wording to that now more commonly used in scheduling the text of international conventions to Bills. However, as I stated on Committee Stage to the Deputy and others, since section 2 substitutes a new section 39 into the principal Act of 1967, on balance it is considered preferable to adhere to the wording used elsewhere in the principal Act, such as in section 5. This approach ensures minimum disruption to the principal Act and maintains consistency. Accordingly, the Government opposes the proposed Labour Party amendment. This is only a textual issue and is designed to maintain textual continuity from the 1967 Act. The Deputy and his advisers are correct that the present style of acceding to international treaties is more modern. It has been decided on advice from the Attorney General and parliamentary draughtsman that we will keep that textual consistency because this is being inserted into the 1967 Act and is not a new section.

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