This Bill proposes to give vocational education committees power to avail themselves of the provisions of the Local Authorities (Mutual Assurance Acts, 1926 and 1928. Before the passing of the Vocational Education Act, 1930, the technical instruction committees, the predecessors of the present vocational education committees, were authorised to associate with other local authorities for the purpose of promoting a company to provide for the mutual assurance of its members against damage to their property by fire and also liability to pay compensation or damages to workmen employed by them. The company which has been formed by local authorities for these purposes is known as the Irish Public Bodies Mutual Insurance, Limited, and is composed exclusively of local authorities and their committees.
I have been advised that application of the Local Authorities (Mutual Assurance) Acts, 1926 and 1928, is restricted to the types of local authorities and their committees in existence at the passing of the 1926 Act and that new statutory local bodies must be given express power before they can associate themselves with other local authorities in a mutual insurance company. It is this need for specific authority to vocational educational committees that has made this Bill necessary. The Vocational Education Act, 1930, which established these committees, does not give the necessary authority to the committees established under the Act. There was, however, no intention to withdraw from vocational education committees the mutual assurance powers exercised by their predecessors, nor did the original Act of 1926 contemplate any restriction in the meaning of the words "local authority" and "committees of local authorities" such as would exclude vocational education committees. These committees have, since they were established, assumed that they had the same powers in respect of mutual assurance as their predecessors.
The present Bill puts the vocational education committees in the same position in regard to mutual assurance as the old technical instruction committees. It validates any action taken by vocational education committees in the belief that they were in the same position. It furthermore gives the Minister for Local Government authority to confer similar powers on any local authority or on any committee of a local authority, a provision which will make the existing law more flexible and obviate the necessity for seeking express statutory authority whenever a new local authority is created. I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time.
Question agreed to.