Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

Senator Mansergh asked a very straightforward question and posited the view that this Bill is to ensure legal clarity regarding the Acts subject to revision and the dates of their enactment. If one looks at Parts 3 and 4, one will note that the statutes therein are more recent than the others. I refer to the statutes of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, dating from 1801 to 1922. It is not a question of their existence because they exist and are clear, and the period they cover is much more recent than the 12th, 13th or 14th centuries. It is important that the Minister of State outline why we are retaining them — I can understand it in terms of precedent in the courts — and why it is necessary to cite them in such a clear way in the course of Schedule 1.