The Minister spoke of certain of the Acts which this Bill is designed to continue for another year, becoming redundant at the end of this year. Perhaps he would indicate which Acts he referred to.
Control of Imports Orders—Motions of Approval. - Expiring Laws Bill, 1937—Committee and Final Stages.
Question proposed: "That Section 1 stand part of the Bill."
I did indicate that permanent legislation is being drafted to deal with the poor law position generally. This will make unnecessary the annual renewal of the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, and the Poor Relief (Dublin) Act, 1929. As well as that, a permanent measure is being introduced to amend the Local Authorities (Combined Purchasing) Act, 1925, and to give permanent effect to the principles of that Act.
Question put and agreed to.
Question proposed: "That Section 2 stand part of the Bill."
Why is the Corrupt Practices Commission Expenses Act renewed from year to year?
Because it has served its purpose. It is a useful Act and there is no use in occupying the time of the Dáil in re-discussing its usefulness. From time to time various provisions have been introduced into other Acts which have had the effect of modifying its provisions in so far as it is necessary to modify them to meet modern necessities. The Act is there, and it has been found to serve a useful purpose. We could spend a week or a fortnight on the Committee Stage, but I do not see that any useful purpose would be served by such a discussion.
Except that it would help to codify the law.
Question put and agreed to.
Schedule and the Title ordered to stand part of the Bill.
May we have the remaining stages now?
We have no objection.
Question—"That the Bill be received for final consideration"—put and agreed to.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."
There is one matter to which I should like to make a brief reference on this stage, in the hope that the Minister may bring it to the notice of the appropriate Ministry. One of the Bills in the Schedule has to do with labourers' cottages.
That is the Labourers (Ireland) Act.
There is this point to be considered. Under the legislation which we recently passed for the provision of additional labourers' cottages there is a provision that when the cottages are built they must be allotted to tenants in a certain order of suitability, and that in the event of the local authority failing to do that, the Minister can intervene to upset the allotment of cottages, point out that a more deserving applicant for a cottage has been turned down, and require the local authority to reconsider the allotment of the cottage.
That provision, in my experience, works admirably and is very necessary, but, oddly enough, it only applies to cottages built under recent legislation. It only applies to new cottages. There are in the country hundreds of cottages built under this Act, and in the case of one of these cottages, even if the allotment is manifestly improper, the Minister has no power to intervene and direct the attention of the local authority to the mistake that has been made. I would suggest that the Minister for Local Government and Public Health should invest himself with the same discretion in regard to the old cottages that he at present enjoys in regard to the new. I think every member of a board of health would endorse what I say in that regard except such members as happen to be corrupt persons. In regard to the new cottages, the Minister, as I have said, can intervene and override the allotment made by the local authority. I am satisfied that the same system should be extended to the old cottages.
I shall draw the attention of the Minister to the Deputy's representations. I think the Deputy himself may have an opportunity of raising this matter on the Housing Bill which is due to come before the Dáil in the near future.
Probably if the Minister's attention is drawn to the matter in the meantime, he will incorporate provisions in the new Housing Bill to deal with it.
Question put and agreed to.