Monica Barnes
Question:36 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the legislative proposals he plans to publish in the remaining time of this Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19730/01]
Vol. 540 No. 2
36 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the legislative proposals he plans to publish in the remaining time of this Dáil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19730/01]
As outlined in the Government legislation programme published on 26 April last my Department is developing proposals for publication of legislation in a number of significant areas before the term of the current Dáil expires. These include: the Pensions Bill, which will provide for the regulation of occupational pensions and the legislative framework for the implementation of recommendations contained in the Pension Board's report "Securing Retirement Income"– the text of the Bill will be published shortly; the civil registration Bill which will provide for reform of the existing births, marriages and deaths registration legislation, and underpin the modernisation of the Civil Registration Service – it is hoped to publish the text of the Bill later this year; the family support agency Bill, will provide for the establishment of a new body to be known as the family support agency to exercise a range of functions, including the provision of a family mediation service, the promotion and development of marriage and relationship counselling services and of other family support services and to support, promote and develop the family and community services resource centres – the new body will provide financial assistance, subject to ministerial consent to voluntary organisations providing these services and it is anticipated that the Bill will be published later this month; the money advice and budgeting service Bill will provide the legislative framework for the money advice and budgeting service – MABS – established under the auspices of my Department in response to problems of moneylending and overindebtedness.
I believe that it is now opportune to provide a firm statutory basis for the service in order to demonstrate the Government's commitment to the service and to secure its continuity into the future. It is anticipated that the Bill will be published later this year; the fundraising for charitable and other purposes bill will provide for reform of the existing law relating to the administration and regulation of charities.