asked the Taoiseach if the Government propose to introduce legislation to give effect to any of the recommendations contained in the reports of the Law Reform Commission and, if so, the proposals that were accepted and their likely date of introduction.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Law Reform Commission Recommendations.
1.
The First Report (1977) and the seven working papers published by the Law Reform Commission do not contain any final recommendations. The commission have invited comment and criticism on the proposals set out in the working papers.
Have the submissions contained in the reports been considered at all by the Government? Might I ask the Taoiseach also if he considers their content to be of any significance and, if so, whether he expects there will be a legislative proposal at an early stage?
That will depend on the commission themselves. Consideration of the report and of the working papers was not intended to be confined to the Government alone, but to other interested parties also, and as soon as they got the comments, then they would submit final recommendations and possibly draft legislation as well. At that time the Government would consider the matter.
Might I raise a question arising out of that reply. I know that, in regard to one of the reports—the one relating to the age of majority—observations were requested to be made prior to 1 March 1978. Is the Taoiseach telling the House that nothing has occurred since that date in regard to this proposal?
I do not know how the Deputy could possibly interpret my reply to Deputy Keating in that way. I said that requests for comment were not confined to the Government but to other parties as well and, having received them, they intended to publish final recommendations and, possibly, draft legislation. I have not in any way indicated what the Deputy has asked me in the question.
Can I read then into the Taoiseach's response that a comment was made by the Government on the Law Reform Commission working papers?
No, I do not think I could indicate to the Deputy what, if any, comment the Government made on these matters because ultimately these will be matters for the Government to consider.
I gathered from the Taoiseach's reply that the implication was that requests for comments were made to parties other than the Government. Is the implication now that the Government have made comments on these to the Law Reform Commission, or have they not? Would it be fair to ask for a simple answer on that?
I have been in touch myself with the Law Reform Commission, through the Attorney General, on a number of occasions. That is as far as I will go.