Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 21, between lines 23 and 24, to insert the following:

"(3) In so far as they survive, titles of honour or dignity arising from feudal baronies and manorial lordships are abolished.

(4) If after the commencement of this section a person purports to sell or offer for sale a title of honour or dignity abolished by subsection (3), he or she shall be guilty of an offence.".

This is another issue the Minister said he would examine before Report Stage. We had a good discussion on it on the last occasion and the Minister said that if we included this provision in the legislation, he was afraid it could give rise to the impression that these titles were land interests. At the same time, he said he would ask the Attorney General to review the point raised by this amendment to see if legislation could be brought in.

The Labour Party raised this issue in legislation I brought forward in the Seanad a couple of years ago but nothing has happened since then. It is an issue of concern to the Genealogical Society of Ireland. Has the Attorney General looked at it since and, if so, what is his view?

See this speech in context