Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The Irish Music Fund Act deals with the Irish music fund set up in 1787 to support infirm musicians. Through the subscriptions and the profits made therefrom, a capital stock of £1,000 was lodged into the hands of the treasurer. The Act states that all the subscribers to this fund are to be a body corporate and politic and they will have perpetual succession and a common seal. The Act describes the working of the committee. The fund was flourishing as recently as 1927 and therefore this Act is not suitable for repeal.

I wish to make two points about references to terminology such as the "lunacy" etc. The Interpretation Act 2005 updates and simplifies the interpretation of statutes in a way that allows for legislation that uses more precise and accessible language. This is relevant to the point Senator Brian Hayes made about terms such as "lunacy". In regard to the archaic and sometimes offensive language which appears in pre-Independence statutes, this will be eliminated in the programme of repeal and re-enactment which ultimately will see all pre-Independence legislation removed from the Statute Book

I regret that I now have to leave to go to the Dáil. This is a list of Acts applying to Ireland that have not been repealed. I thank the Members for their co-operation and we will continue this work at a future date.