asked the Minister for Finance the reason for the delay in the issue of the bound volumes of statutes since 1975; why the paper-covered index to the statutes is now out of print; and why copies of orders relating to fees in courts other than the High Court and Circuit Court are not available.
Written Answers. - Bound Volumes of Statutes.
61.
The delay in the publication of the bound volumes of statutes for the years subsequent to 1975 is mainly due to a shortage of staff in the Translation Section of the Houses of the Oireachtas. Also, the 1976 statutes are exceptionally bulky running to two volumes. Due to the delay in the preparation of these volumes, which have now been published, the volumes for subsequent years will also be delayed.
In relation to the paper covered an nual indexes to the statutes, which supplement the five-yearly Consolidated Index, the indexes for 1976, 1977 and 1978 are available while the 1979 index is in the course of printing and should be published within a few months. The years before 1976 are included in the Consolidated Index for 1922 to 1975, which is now out of print due to unforseen demand. The cost of re-publication would not be justified since the period will be covered in the Consolidated Index for the years 1922 to 1980 at present in course of preparation.
The latest order relating to fees in courts other than the High Court and Circuit Court is the District Court (Fees) Order 1980. The order has been available from the Government Publications Sales Office since 2 June last (prior to that date the order was available in neostyled form).