Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, whom I commend him on the dignified way he represented Ireland in America recently. It was a very difficult time for young people and their families, particularly the families of students participating in the J1 visa programme. He represented the Government with dignity in very difficult circumstances.I am keen to put that much on the record of the House.

I agree with Senator O'Donovan that few people would have an issue with what is being proposed in respect of this legislation. In fact there are golden opportunities. I have said before that I believe we should have a legal hub here, the equivalent of the IFSC. As Senator O'Donovan has pointed out, correctly, we are an English-speaking nation that has done an extraordinary work in terms of international relations in the area of humanitarian work. We are a neutral nation respected throughout the world and that is strong currency. We should be using that currency to create jobs in this area.

The country is already internationally recognised in the area of arbitration. I believe with the recent legislation on mediation, the work done by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality and the commitments in place in terms of mediation we will become an international hub in mediating international disputes. This legislation provides us with a golden opportunity to become a centre of international excellence in the area of dealing with commercial disputes. We should become the country of choice where people seek to go to resolve their disputes. This legislation is an incremental step in the right direction to ensure that we can create such a hub.

Many other things need to be done in this area - I have spoken about this before. The Oireachtas committee has done a good deal of work in the area of e-conveyancing. At the moment if someone buys a property in this country it can take anything between four and eight weeks to deal with conveyancing, the transferring of documents and everything that goes with it. If this was done electronically it would take between four and eight days. Let us consider the likes of a big business purchasing large corporations or properties. Even more time is involved in such cases, especially if we throw in due diligence and everything that goes with it. If we were to become a centre of excellence and embrace e-conveyancing then we would be augmenting our reputation as being an information and communications technology centre of excellence. The European head offices of six of the seven major ICT companies are based in this country. This is where the jobs are, in particular the high-end jobs. This morning in the House I was pleased to point out that 100 jobs have been created by an aircraft leasing company based in Shannon and Dublin. There will be 50 jobs in Shannon and 50 jobs in Dublin. We are considered the world's leading country when it comes to aircraft leasing. There are so many other areas where we could become leaders with the proper innovation and by incorporating positive steps, including this legislation. Certainly that is the case in terms of dispute resolution. We are getting there in the case of arbitration and we will get there in the area of mediation. The area under this legislation is an open door. We need to drive forward in job creation.

I suggest that we should consider basing any such hub outside of Dublin. Simply because the IFSC is in Dublin does not mean that if we were to go down a similar line and create a legal hub, it should not be based outside of Dublin. We need to be mindful that we are working on broadband and we need to ensure that within a few years we will be totally accessible in most areas of the country. I have in mind places like Shannon or other places outside of Dublin that could be considered. I believe anything up to 30,000 or 40,000 jobs could be created if we were to make this a major initiative.

Senator O'Donovan raised a point about naming people in the legislation. I bow to his greater experience and that of the Minister of State in these Houses over mine and I take his word that it has not happened before. I am unsure of the reason for it but I imagine the Minister will clarify it on Committee Stage. When legislation is good and when it is being embraced and endorsed across the House, we should simply make a point in the House and send the message out; we should not be dividing. I strongly suggest that if there is a misunderstanding it could be clarified on Committee Stage. I have no doubt that whether it is the Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan, the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, or whoever takes Committee Stage, clarity will be forthcoming.

It is great to see yet another justice Bill initiated in this House. I understand more justice Bills have been initiated in this House than from any other Department. It is good for this House. The people gave us a renewed mandate in 2013. Given the constraints within which we are operating we have delivered on that mandate as best we could. We have a unique opportunity, which the other House probably does not have, to analyse and debate legislation as well as enhance it and discuss the bigger picture. I welcome the fact that the Government and the Minister have opted to initiate the legislation in this House. I look forward to seeing this legislation passed through the House in time for the ratification process.