Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to be associated with the very eloquent tribute - eloquent as always - that Senator Norris paid to Mervyn Taylor. Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam.

It will come as no surprise to anybody here that I wholeheartedly agree with and support Senator Kyne's request and statement.

I will not respond to every Senator other than to say in response to Senator Mullen that I just wish I was available to accompany him this evening to the famous Hill of Crockafotha and the Bellewstown races.

There was a statement post last week's Cabinet meeting that the existing land conveyancing legislation will be amended. We are all aware of this because I have no doubt I am not the only one who has been lobbied a great deal recently about the upcoming deadline for the registration of rights of way. I welcome the fact that, as I said, the statement from Cabinet said there will be legislation to deal with this. While I am not looking for a debate on same, as I know we will have plenty of opportunity to discuss that Bill when it reaches us, I plead that this House convey the need for a public awareness campaign, be it as part of the legislation coming forward or as an accompanying element of the Bill. In my opinion, the problem arose due to the lack of awareness of people who were made aware only following inheritance, succession or purchase of property that if a right of way was involved, it had to be registered. We had a lot of lobbying from the Law Society, the Bar Council and the farm representative bodies, so I strongly urge that this House communicate to Minister and the Department that there could be something incorporated into the legislation coming to us that would include an awareness campaign and that people would be informed in order that, at the end of whatever extension is being proposed, we will not be inundated again with requests for a further extension. This deadline was extended in 2011 for ten years to 2021. One would imagine a ten-year extension would have facilitated everybody out there but, as I have said previously, the problem was not that people did not want to do this but that they were not aware of it. There is no point in changing legislation or moving out a deadline if we do not inform the people of their requirements to register those rights of way, be that through the media or through direct contact with property owners. This is a vital part of what is coming down the line.