Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 8: To ask the Taoiseach his legislative priorities for the remainder of 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15560/09]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 9: To ask the Taoiseach his legislative priorities for the remainder of 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16609/09]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.

The Statute Law Revision Bill was published on 29 May 2009. This Bill is the only item of legislation relevant to my Department on the A list of the Government legislation programme for this session. It is hoped the Bill will be debated in the House in the autumn session.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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This is a fascinating Bill. It repeals 1,350 obsolete Acts predating independence, some going back to penal days but which are not entirely without relevance. I note an Act dating to 1731 providing for the relief of the creditors of James Mead and George Curtis, late bankers of Dublin. Nothing much has changed. The repeal of pre-independence legislation is fascinating. We will finally bring the penal laws to an end, which is great news.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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They are bringing in new ones.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Is there any chance the Government would prioritise legislation relevant to people living in the here and now? For example, where is the civil unions Bill, the heads of which were published last year and which we were promised would come before the House on a number of occasions? Is there a method for prioritisation?

The Government has been very lax regarding the amount of legislation being brought forward. There seem to be great delays - there are Bills going back to 2003 and 2004. Six Bills were promised on the list from May 2003 and the latest news is that they will be published in late 2009 or 2010. At this rate, we will end up dealing with matters applying today in the same way as we are dealing with the Statute Law Revision Bill and legislation from 300 years ago.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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I never thought I would hear myself say this to the Deputy but the matters being discussed by him are relevant to the Order of Business.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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That makes a change.

John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Ceann Comhairle)
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It is a major change.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I commend Deputy Gilmore for his sense of fascination.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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I have a great sense of history. I have always wanted to see an end to the penal laws.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's definition is far wider than mine. It is important to point out that while this is the only Bill within my Department's remit, the wider issue concerning the Bills on the Order Paper and the A and B lists are dealt with on an ongoing daily basis, as the Deputy would be aware, with monotonous regularity on the Order of Business. I can only deal with the Bill before me, which is a necessary tidying up exercise. We must ensure obsolete laws no longer form part of the Statute Book.