Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

I have gone as far as I can and as far as is necessary with my amendment No. 47 to meet the case made by the Deputy. The purpose of amendment No. 47 is to delete a reference to the Bill when enacted which is superfluous to the text and the purpose of subsection (c) of section 6.

I have no difficulty with the underlying reasoning for Deputy Durkan's suggestion for the Short Title of the Bill but I do not agree with his proposal for the execution of that reasoning. The Short Title of the Bill is simply a shorthand reference to it. The real name or Title of the Bill is contained in the Long Title. Amendments Nos. 1 to 4, inclusive, change the name of the Bill to take account of the new provisions currently outside its scope.

A clear precedent exists. The Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2005 contained a number of provisions outside the scope of energy matters. They included the use of radiological material for medical purposes and the payment of debts by Bord na Móna. The Maritime Safety Act 2005 amends landlord and tenant legislation. The proper place for the reference is in the Long Titles of both Acts. My magnanimity goes so far as to accept the underlying reasons but I am dealing with it in a different way.

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