Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I welcome the opportunity to introduce the Bill. I take the opportunity to thank Senators for their contributions on this Bill last week during Second and subsequent Stages. No amendments were made to the published Bill on Committee Stage in the Seanad.

The Bill introduces a number of important reforms in the law across a broad range of areas. These amendments reach across many aspects of people’s lives and have the potential to make a significant difference. They include: increasing the number of judges on the Court of Appeal; increasing carrier liability fines as part of our ongoing reforms to strengthen the immigration system; amendments to the Judicial Council Act 2019 to address issues relating to personal injuries guidelines that were highlighted by the Supreme Court in the recent Delaney case; and provisions to increase the maximum penalty for a number of knife-crime offences. Finally, the Bill amends a number of Acts on the Statute Book relating to superannuation provisions for public servants with the aim of increasing the mandatory retirement age for uniformed public servants.

I hope to bring a number of amendments to the Bill on Committee Stage relating to: the status of officials of the Judicial Council and Judicial Appointments Commission; amendments to the Broadcasting Act 2009 relating to the powers of Coimisiún na Meán and the terrorist content online regulation; amendments to the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 to correct procedural issues identified in the Damache judgment, thereby re-enabling the revocation of certificates of naturalisation in serious cases; and amendments to the International Protection Act 2015 to address procedural issues with the process for designating safe third countries and inadmissibility procedures identified in a recent High Court judgment. The House will have the opportunity to examine these amendments on Committee Stage, which is scheduled to take place next week.

The Bill comprises 12 sections laid across seven Parts. I will now highlight the main provisions of each Part. Section 2 provides for the amendment of section 1A(2) of the Courts (Establishment and Constitution) Act 1961 for the purpose of increasing the maximum number of ordinary judges of the Court of Appeal by one to 18. The increase in the number of judges on the Court of Appeal is to maintain the number of judges available to sit on the court while Ms Justice Power acts as sole member of a tribunal of inquiry examining matters relating to the Defence Forces.

Section 3 amends sections 2 and 3 of the Immigration Act 2003. The amendment to section 2 has the effect of increasing the fine payable where an airline or ferry company is found guilty on summary conviction of allowing a person to board an aircraft or vessel destined for the State without the proper documentation.

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