John Ellis (Fianna Fail)

Local authorities are to blame. We are all running into this problem. Compulsory purchase orders are issued and left lying so nothing is done for an age. On top of that, the authorities do not even fulfil the payment terms and everything ends up in a mess. Some local authorities, and the NRA, end up paying people years after roads have been completed. This is not acceptable.

This is emergency legislation to save the State money. That is the most important point. It is terrible to think we must have rushed legislation because someone did not do his or her job.

We must also remember that the Bill we are amending is ten years old. We all know what can happen in the space of ten years. What is legally correct one day might, because of a judgment somewhere along the line, be totally turned on top of its head. This evening's work has to be done.

I am sure Senators Coffey and Hannigan will agree that if the State would save money by having this emergency legislation passed it should be done. No one wants to see the State spending money unnecessarily or having to pay legal costs because legislation was not passed in time. I commend the Bill to the House because we are doing the State some service and also saving it some money, which means we are saving the ordinary taxpayer money also.