Feargal Quinn (Independent)

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Fahey. I also welcome the Bill. In my first few words in this House some ten years ago I spoke of the need for brevity. Therefore, I will attempt to set an example by not repeating the words of Senators Phelan and Mansergh in praise of the Bill.

The Government is not a disinterested party, in the sense that it is impartial, in seeking those who may have a right to dormant accounts. I am concerned that it is not enough to merely inform the public. Rather, we must go out, seek and persuade them to examine their affairs. There is a difference between looking for someone to make contact in order to make a claim by informing them and persuading them to do so. If the Government just informs, many of those who might have known will not come across the accounts and not make a claim, leaving the State with the money for good causes. We need to go out and sell this to possible claimants to make sure they are aware of the scheme and that the money may be taken from them.

I am concerned about the wording of the Bill in sections 8, 9 and 12 which makes it sound like there is no such thing as electronic communication and that we are still operating with paper communications. If the Bill was written in the 1890s, similar words would have been used to those now being used – there is no sign of modern communications. My 24 year old son does not write letters or read the newspaper, other than the sports pages, but communicates well with others through the Internet, text messages and email. In the 1600s – in the 100 or so years after Caxton had developed the printing press – when legislation was produced they insisted on everything being publicised by the town crier, ignorant of another form of communication, namely, the printed word. Sections 8, 9 and 12 use words that would have been used in the 1890s. For example, section 8 states, "each holder of the unclaimed policy shall be given written notice by the insurance undertaking concerned of the following.". This notice to policyholders seems old-fashioned.

Senator Phelan referred to a possible threat to communication but it does not matter whether there is a two, three or five day delivery service because it will not have a major effect if it is a few weeks or a few months late. We do, however, seek a way of making sure people are contacted to the best of our ability.