Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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I move:

That, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, or the Order of the Seanad of 21st September, 2021, initiation of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2021 may proceed pursuant to Standing Order 145, notwithstanding that pre-legislative consideration of the Bill pursuant to Standing Order 143 has not been waived.”

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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Is the motion agreed?

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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I do not object to the speedy moving of the Land and Conveyancing Reform Bill as I have called for the legislation for a year. It is important that we act before 30 November but I am not sure technically if it is necessary in the Seanad because we do not normally have the practice of pre-legislative scrutiny in terms of legislation coming to the Seanad. I do not want us to set a precedent.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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There is no issue. To be helpful to the Senator, it is a new procedure that has been introduced since September.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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Yes.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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It is just procedural and normally it would not be the case.

Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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Senator Higgins must not have been at the meeting. I was not at the meeting either. We changed the procedure at the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight meeting during the year.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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Was that to require pre-legislative scrutiny of legislation initiated in the Seanad?

Regina Doherty (Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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We may revisit that at a Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight meeting.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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This is a very good humoured exchanged but I wish to interrupt and say that it was approved by the House on 21 September.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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We may need to address the matter at the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight level because I am concerned that, even in the Dáil, normally it comes in after Second Stage rather than before Second Stage of legislation.

Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
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The Senator is very welcome to raise the matter at the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges and Oversight level.

Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent)
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We may need to revisit this.