Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

He left the unit as his legacy to the rest of us. I congratulate all who brought the work forward.

Looking back at the period from the 1300s to now, it was for only a very short period that we had no Parliament in Ireland, from the time of the Act of Union in 1801 until 1922, or more correctly, for those of us who believe in the Republic, until 1919. Much has happened in that period and it makes great sense for us to repeal obsolete and inoperable legislation of the past. It is important that we do so.

Having repealed certain laws, we must now make sense of the situation, and the only way to do so in the long run is to produce a revised Statute Book pre-1922. Much work has been done relating to the period from 1922 onwards but the big problem relates to the operable parts of legislation enacted before 1922. The Minister of State hinted that work is progressing in the area. It is important for business, the law and all organisations which deal with any of these pieces of legislation and Acts to have them codified, and to have the information available in a technologically suitable and compatible manner, accessible by all citizens. I welcome the Bill and I hope it helps us all in terms of overcoming excessive bureaucracy and regulation.