I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time. This is not as important a Bill as it used to be years ago, when there were quite long schedules of Acts it was proposed annually to keep in operation for another year. The list has become shorter in recent years. However, it is something that requires to be done towards the end of each calendar year.
This Bill proposes to continue for a further year the statutes set out in Parts 1 and 2 of the Schedule. Of the eight Acts appearing in the Schedule, provision has already been made for the repeal of the Local Authorities (Combined Purchasing) Act, 1925, which will go when the Local Authorities (Combined Purchasing) Act, 1939, comes into operation. It will hardly be feasible, however, to give effect to the 1939 Act until the end of the present emergency, and it is, therefore, necessary to continue the 1925 Act for a further period.
The Transport (No. 2) Bill, 1944—at the last stages of which we have just assisted—provides for the repeal of the Statutory Undertakings (Temporary Increase of Charges) Act, 1918, so far as it relates to tramways and for the repeal in toto of the Statutory Undertakings (Continuance of Charges) (No. 2) Act, 1923. As the Transport Bill has now passed through all the stages in both Dáil and Seanad and will shortly become law, it is, accordingly, necessary to amend the wording in columns 3 and 4 of the Schedule in respect of the Statutory Undertakings (Temporary Increase of Charges) Act, 1918, and to delete entirely from the Schedule the Statutory Undertakings (Continuance of Charges) (No. 2) Act, 1923. I propose to move the necessary amendments on the Committee Stage.
A Rent Restrictions Bill was introduced to-day. As it will not be enacted before the end of this year, it is necessary to continue for a further period the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1923, in order that the existing protection for tenants may be continued.
The position regarding the remaining Acts has been reviewed to consider whether legislation might be introduced to give permanence to any of them in their present form or in an amended form. Any such legislation is not, however, thought to be feasible at present. It will be appreciated that the Schedule of enactments to be continued has shrunk considerably over a number of years and we are now left with a mere handful of Acts which, as opportunity presents itself, will be further diminished.
