Mary O'Rourke
Question:114 Mrs. O'Rourke asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he intends to publish the Credit Union legislation prior to Christmas 1996. [22372/96]
Written Answers. - Credit Union Legislation.
Proposals for the updating and consolidation of the body of legislation dealing with credit unions, which dates in some cases from 1893, are well advanced. The size of the Bill has necessarily required detailed attention on the part of the Minister of State with responsibility for commerce, science and technology, my Department, and the Attorney General's office. I am pleased to say that a first draft of the Bill, involving almost 200 sections, has been received from the parliamentary draftsman, and it is currently being examined in detail by my Department and the Registrar of Friendly Societies, who has overall responsibility for the regulation and supervision of credit unions.
Discussions to finalise the text of the Bill are scheduled to take place with the parliamentary draftsman in the very near future, after which Government approval to publish the Bill will be sought. The Credit Union Bill is my Department's priority for legislative action and while I am not able to give a precise date for publication at present, I assure Deputies that every effort is being made to have the Bill published during the current Dáil session.