As the Seanad is no doubt aware this Bill is of the nature of a hardy annual and it must be enacted before the end of the present calendar year. It proposes to continue for another year the statutes which appeared in Parts I and II of the Schedule of the Expiring Laws Act, 1934, with the exception of the Aliens Restriction (Amendment) Act, 1919, which has been repealed by the Aliens Act of this year. In addition, the two following Orders have been added to those shown in column 3, Part II of the Schedule as restricting the scope of the Statutory Undertakings (Continuance of Charges) (No. 2) Act, 1923: the Foynes Harbour (Temporary Increase of Charges) Order, 1921, and the Kilrush Pier, County Clare, Order of the same year.
Full consideration has been given to the desirability of enacting legislation to give permanence to Acts hitherto continued by means of an annual Expiring Laws Act, but it has not been found practicable this year to introduce legislation to make permanent any of the Acts in the Schedule to the Bill with the exception of four. It is proposed to introduce a Bill dealing with the poor law position generally and this will, it is hoped, make unnecessary the further annual renewal of the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923. There is also in contemplation a permanent measure to amend the Local Authorities (Combined Purchasing) Act, 1925, and as soon as the Courts of Justice Bill, now before the Oireachtas becomes law, the further annual renewal of the Courts of Justice Act, 1929, will be unnecessary. There is also in an advanced stage of preparation a Bill which will provide for the repeal of the Harbours, Docks and Piers (Temporary Increase of Charges) Act, 1920, with certain saving provisions, and for the repeal of Section 2 of the Statutory Undertakings (Continuance of Charges) (No. 2) Act, 1923. This Bill will be in consequence of the Harbours (Regulation of Rates) Act, 1934.
I understand that memoranda explanatory of the enactments which are being continued have been already furnished to Senators for their information. With reference to the four measures that I have referred to, as they will not be enacted for some little time yet, it is necessary to continue them for a further period by means of this Bill, and, accordingly, they are included in the Schedule. If the House wishes to discuss further any of the Bills which appear in the Schedule to this measure I shall be glad if reference is made to them to-day so that, if practicable, the Ministers who are more intimately concerned with their administration than I am may be here to deal with them on the Committee Stage.