Noel Ahern
Question:134 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for the Environment the number of pieces of legislation operated by and policed by his Department which were on the Statute Book prior to 1921; and the titles of such legislation. [11386/96]
Written Answers. - Pre-1921 Legislation.
My Department is responsible for an extensive body of legislation. The legislative codes relating to housing, planning, elections and referenda, environmental protection, roads and road traffic are relatively modern, while water, sewerage and miscellaneous local government services, as well as the system of local government itself, are governed in part by legislation dating from the years prior to 1921. It would not be practicable, having regard to the commitment of staff time and resources that would be involved, to list each pre 1921 enactment which, in whole or in part, is still in force, and which comes within my Department's area of responsibility.
Substantial progress has been made in recent years in modernising and consolidating the extensive body of law for which my Department is responsible; this work is being continued in line with the Government's policy commitment to increase the accessibility of legal texts generally.