Joanna Tuffy (Labour)

I move amendment No. 8:

In page 18, after line 40, 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.".

I raised this issue when the Bill was discussed by the joint committee with Professor Wylie. The Government official said the Department found it difficult to address this in the legislation. The issue of the sale of bogus titles has been raised with the Labour Party, other parties and the Minister and his party by the Genealogical Society of Ireland. According to the society, such titles should be registered as incorporeal hereditament and continue to exist in law. Consequently they need to be abolished specifically and I wondered if the Minister had further thoughts on the issue.