Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I wish to record my eternal objection to legislation which gives the Minister carte blanche to ignore the legislation, which is what this section involves. Every Bill which contains an open-ended timeframe for its implementation is, essentially, handing over to the Government the legislative role of the Oireachtas. I have always objected to this practice, and I wish to put my objection on the record again. It is surely not beyond the wit of man or woman to work out when it is possible to implement legislation, even if it is a year hence. A Mental Health Bill was passed in 1981 but it was never brought into force. As the Government did not have to bring it into force, it was 20 years before revised legislation was introduced.