Tom Shehan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State and reiterate his point regarding the work that has gone into this Bill. Over the weekend, I gave the Bill to a solicitor friend of mine and the comment he made was "about time". As alluded to by my esteemed colleague on the other side, much of the legislation being updated is obscure and irrelevant. I appreciate the painstaking work done and the time that has been required to bring the Statute Book up to date.

Do I take it this will be a continuous, ongoing process given I do not believe the Statute Book will be updated in one fell swoop? Will the legal profession be involved? I have been asked whether there will be consultation with them in the future. Having their input would make for better legislation. As Senator O'Donovan has said, this revision is long overdue and it is good that both sides of the House welcome it. We look forward to dealing with the legislation as briskly as we can.