Michael Kitt (Fianna Fail)

Senator Ryan mentioned Brehon law. This was an oral tradition rather than a statute law. After the Norman-English introduced statute law to Ireland, the Brehon Law was suppressed during the 17th century and no such laws survived in the legal system.

I thank Members for participating in this short debate. More time is required for debates of this nature. I remind them to let me know if they have queries on any particular Acts. There were many queries to which I cannot respond because of time restraints.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge, as Members have done, the work of the team of officials in the Office of the Attorney General who engaged in detailed and considerable research to identify both the statutes for retention and those for repeal. It was a complex task to identify these Acts and all of us, including myself, would like to be involved in this fascinating process. Much work remains to be done. I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving me the opportunity to respond to Members. I also thank Members for giving this Bill the attention it deserves and for their detailed and insightful comments.