I move that the Bill be read a Second Time. As the House is aware, this Expiring Laws Bill is an annual one and requires to be enacted before the end of the present calendar year. It proposes to continue for a further year the statutes set out in Parts I and II of the Schedule. These do not differ from the statutes appearing in the Schedule to the 1944 Act.
Of the seven Acts now 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 bring the 1939 Act into operation until manufactured articles and goods required by local bodies are in regular supply and it is necessary accordingly to continue the 1925 Act for a further period.
A Rent Restrictions Bill is at present before the Dáil and when enacted it will replace the Increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions) Act, 1923. As, however, it is possible that it may not be passed before the end of this year it is necessary to continue for a further period the 1923 Act, 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.