Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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267. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the courts and land and conveyancing law reform Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48067/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The position is that the process of drafting the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform (Amendment) Bill is nearing completion. The principal purpose of the Bill is to broaden the range of matters a court must take into account when deciding whether to grant a possession order to a lending institution in respect of a borrower's principal private residence.

Following completion of drafting, I intend to consult with the Attorney General on whether consultation with the European Central Bank (ECB) on the Bill's content will be required. Articles 127(4) and 282(5) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union require that the ECB be consulted by national authorities regarding draft legislative provisions in its areas of competence, and it may give an opinion. These areas include currency matters, means of payment, national central banks, the collection, compilation and distribution of monetary, financial, banking, payment systems and balance of payment statistics, payment and settlement systems, and, rules applicable to financial institutions insofar as they materially influence the stability of financial institutions and markets.

In the event that consultation with the ECB is not necessary, I intend to seek Government approval for the publication of the Bill in the coming weeks.