Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The emphasis on the public interest as proposed in the amendment is exactly my intention in advancing the legislation. There is staidness with long titles. Having had our discussion on Committee Stage, I consulted officials in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to see if they could facilitate this change. However, they regard this as declaratory, almost promotional and outside what is the narrow scope of the Long Title, which is defined very clearly in our legislative process. I agree entirely that other jurisdictions have much more latitude with their long titles. I would have concerns over some, including the US Patriot Act, which many in the United States would regard as not being very patriotic. I should not have allowed myself to digress into these matters.

In some jurisdictions the long title may be used at least to mask the intention of the contents of the Bill. We are very confined by tradition and the advices of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel that we do not state the purpose of the Bill in the Long Title. It simply encompasses for the reader the contents of the legislation. Despite my enthusiasm to accept the Senator's proposal, the principle of which I agree with, the strong advice of the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to me is not to accept it because it would do damage to the tradition of confining the Long Title to the contents of the Bill simple.