This Bill will prove to be entirely non-controversial, and practically a formal matter. It follows very closely on the lines of an Act of the British Parliament passed in 1915, which continued in operation until August of last year, namely, the Special Acts (Extension of Time) Act. The purpose of this is to allow the powers obtained by public bodies for the purpose of carrying out water works and sewage works, and which have lapsed through not being acted upon, to be revived without the expense and delay caused by local inquiry, and to make out a particular Order legalising all that by special Act of the Oireachtas. I know of several cases. I know of one where they had been pressing for a revival of their powers. That is the case of the Dingle Rural Council, where a water supply scheme was contemplated. Under this British Act those powers were extended two or three times, but in 1919-1920, when the Councils broke off relations with the old Local Government Board, the Council did not apply for any extension, and so the powers have now lapsed. The Council desires to carry on the work. It has got a special grant from outside the State to help the carrying on of that work. The local people are desirous of proceeding with the work. The circumstances of the last two years have been such that it has been almost impossible for local bodies to carry out works of public utility which they had intended, and, just as the British Government enabled Acts to be continued up to last August, I think it would not be going too far to enable powers to be extended for a period of two years from the passing of this Act. I think the matter is one about which there will be no controversy. Every provision in this Act follows along the lines of that British Act to which I have referred. The effect of passing it is that expense will be saved by the Local Authorities; otherwise they would have to start de novo, and the delay occasioned would be very considerable. This is not an urgent Bill in the sense that it cannot wait over. I think it is a formal one, and the consideration of it here probably, as in the Dáil, will be a matter almost of formality. It was passed through its three stages in the Dáil yesterday. I would suggest it would be good procedure for the Seanad to dispose of the matter entirely. It is not worth while bringing it up three or four times.
OIREACHTAS STAFF. - LOCAL AUTHORITIES (EXTENSION OF TIME) BILL, 1923, FROM THE DÁIL.
Motion made and question proposed: "That this Bill be now read a Second time."
Question put, and agreed to.
I beg to move the suspension of Standing Orders in order to take the Bill through all its stages.
I second the motion.
Motion agreed to.
Bill put through all its further stages without discussion, and passed.