Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second the amendment to the Order of Business tabled by Senator Darragh O'Brien.

Today is national water day and the Government is trying its best to rescue the situation. It has been a political disaster for the Government and the country. The household charges should have been amalgamated. A far more logical approach would have been to insist the property tax had an element of water service. I do not think the Government will get out of the trap that easily. We will see what happens during the course of the day and we will have a debate here.

I wish to give notice to the Leader that I intend to reactivate No. 30 on the Order Paper, the Registration of Wills Bill 2011 - Second Stage (Resumed). I am not sure whether he will provide Government time for the legislation. I brought in this Private Members' legislation which was approved by Fine Gael, the Labour Party, Fianna Fáil, and the Independents in the Seanad between 2007 and 2011. When I re-introduced the legislation, because it lapsed in the previous Seanad, there was not as much support. The legislation has not been put to a vote and I intend to re-activate it. I intend to lobby my colleagues, particularly new Senators like Senator Craughwell and others, on its contents which are logical and reasonable.

The premise has been accepted throughout the Council of Europe and some countries have a system to register wills. People here are being deprived of a human right to their inheritance. Due to the neglect of legal firms that have hidden or lost the wills book there is mayhem and people cannot locate wills. I cannot understand that a Government that came to office on the basis of transparency and trying to reform the law would not support my legislation. I appeal to Senator Bacik and the Leader to reconsider the matter. I shall make a presentation to my colleagues over the next few weeks and I hope to move the legislation in early 2015.