I move that leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to authorise local authorities to accept, hold and administer gifts of property for civic improvements and to provide for other matters connected with the matters aforesaid.
Local Authorities (Acceptance of Gifts) Bill, 1945—First Stage.
Purely for the purpose of eliciting information in regard to this Bill, I propose formally to oppose the introduction. That is a well-established convention of this House, when a Deputy desires to obtain early information as to the nature of the legislation proposed.
The Deputy may oppose the introduction and the Minister introducing the Bill may then make a statement, if he so desires; and the Deputy may then make a brief statement, that is, when the Minister has spoken.
I formally oppose the introduction.
It is very difficult to add any further information to that already contained in the Long Title of the Bill which is:—
"Bill entitled an Act to authorise local authorities to accept, hold and administer gifts of property for civic improvements and to provide for other matters connected with the matters aforesaid".
Briefly, the purpose of the Bill is to enable local authorities to receive the voluntary gifts of well-intentioned citizens who desire their gifts to be utilised for the social and cultural improvement of the inhabitants of any particular locality.
I thought that, in announcing the purpose of this Bill, which seems to be an admirable one, the Minister for Local Government and Public Health would have gone so far as to mention the occasion of his being induced to prepare legislation of this character for submission to Dáil Eireann. I connected it with the remonstrances of George Bernard Shaw, desiring to prove that he could burn his property, bury his property, or bestow his property on a cats' and dogs' home, but that one thing he could not do was bestow it on a city he wished to benefit. I would have been interested to hear if his vigorous representations had effected the rapid conversion of the Minister, since the Opposition Parties might put their minds to studying his style, with a view to producing the equally rapid conversion of other Ministers.
I think I can rejoin to that on the Second Stage of the Bill much more appropriately than now.
Leave to introduce granted.
Second Stage ordered for Tuesday, the 3rd July.
Is the House sitting on Tuesday?
That has not been decided yet.
We will see what progress we make to-day.
When will the Bill be circulated?
It will be in the post to-morrow evening.