Amendments Nos. 1, 10 and 11 are related and may be discussed together by agreement.
Licensing of Indoor Events Bill 2001: Committee and Remaining Stages.
Sections 1 to 10, inclusive, agreed.
SECTION 11.
I move amendment No. 1:
In page 12, subsection (1), line 11, after "authority" to insert ", through its Chief Fire officer or Inspection Officer,".
This is about responsibility and the devolution of powers to different personnel within a local authority. An officer has to take ultimate responsibility within a particular area and it is too broad to leave to an authority. Ultimate responsibility should rest with one person, who issues the instructions or orders to close down. An authority is a very broad-based structure, and with the words "chief fire officer or inspection officer", one pins down an activity to a particular area and an authorised officer. That is very important.
It is all about safety, particularly with regard to persons attending events. We have seen catastrophes in the past and we never want to see similar situations anywhere. I see a Senator present who was at one of those fiascos. We want to remove the possibility of such disasters from society. As legislators we have a duty of care to our community, and safety procedures for the protection of people are of paramount importance. They should be left in the hands of particular officers, and it would copperfasten rather than alter the legislation to insert the amendment. Perhaps the Minister of State, whom I know for some time, would take this amendment on board.
I welcome the Minister of State to the House. In relation to the amendment proposed by Senator Bannon, I understand there was coverage of this issue in the media recently. There was also a debate held in Westport among fire officers on the question of fire fatalities and the level of expenditure. The Minister of State when replying might comment on that. Senator Brady gave us the example of the Stardust fire in 1981. There might be a case for putting emphasis on a chief fire officer or an inspection officer, but the question of expenditure is certainly important. In my county, Galway, the chief fire officer and the county manager always talk about the need for extra funding.
We will deal with the coupled amendments Nos. 1 and 10, tabled by Senator Bannon. I cannot disagree with anything he has said about the importance of fire safety. The feeling is unanimous in both Houses that we have a duty and obligation in relation to fire safety. Regarding the proposal to insert "chief fire officer or inspection officer" in the Bill, the person authorised by the fire authority would include the chief fire officer and other senior officers. There would be a number of assistant chief fire officers, and other senior officers could be authorised and appointed by the fire authority, by the county manager. As I pointed out in the Dáil, there is no need to single out one particular officer. The fire officer would nominate officers and one would naturally be the chief fire officer, so there is no necessity to specify the chief fire officer or indeed the inspection officer as Senator Bannon has suggested. For that reason I am not prepared to accept the amendment.
If it were to improve the Bill, I would be the first to accept it, but it does not. It would be wrong to single out any one officer when the matter is to be dealt with by the fire officer and the county manager. This power is already covered under section 29(c) which inserts a new subsection (5) in section 18 of the Fire Services Act 1981. It is considered that the recommendations given in writing by the authorised person concerning fire safety measures, together with the additional strengthened powers available to the authorised person under the Act, enable him to do the equivalent to an improvement notice. The approach we have taken in the Bill is considered to be a more efficient and effective method of dealing with these matters than the more formal improvement notices.
Comprehensive consultation has taken place with chief fire officers and fire advisers in the Department of the Environment and Local Government, and this Bill is seen as a vast improvement. This is not just in the best interests of the Department, the fire authorities or the chief fire officers, it is also in the interests of the owners or those in control of the various establishments. This Bill gives a broad range of options to the fire officers and to those inspecting on the day or night. Senators will know that the 1981 legislation provided for a fire safety notice which could never be withdrawn – the premises could be re-opened but the fire safety office could never be withdrawn. It took some time to close down. Even going to the High Court could take some time.
In the best interests of those attending indoor events and ensuring their lives are not in danger, the fire officer, or authorised officer, can give advice orally or in writing or serve a closure notice. This means the premises could be closed immediately. This has improved the quality of the Bill and is in the best interests of all concerned.
As we all know, this legislation came about as a result of the Hamilton report. It relates to the independence of positions and accountability within a local authority. The chief fire officer is professionally trained for the specific purpose of his or her job and nobody should be in a position to overrule him as his decision relating to the safety of people is paramount. He should have sufficient power and should not have to go back to the manager or other officials within the structure. If he sees that there is a risk to the safety of people at an event he should be able to close the premises on the spot. It is important that we strengthen the legislation to ensure the catastrophes we have seen in the past never happen again. I tabled this amendment to strengthen the legislation and perhaps the Minister of State will consider including it.
While I appreciate that Senator Bannon is trying to strengthen the legislation, we have already done this by incorporating section 29(c) which inserts a new subsection (5) in section 18 of the Fire Service Act. We have now given authority to the authorised officer – who could be the chief fire officer, assistant fire officer or senior officer – to issue a closure notice. Depending on the circumstances, the officer can issue an oral or written warning or, in extreme cases, issue a closure notice and if conditions are such, extreme action must be taken. We have incorporated this into the Bill and have strengthened it. To do anything other than this would weaken the Bill somewhat.
Has the chief fire officer ultimate control over the manager so that the manager cannot intervene in any case? The Minister of State mentioned oral warnings. The spoken word can be misinterpreted and I fear what would happen if it went to court. In court, there can be a different interpretation taken of the written word and the spoken word. If a person cannot produce a document stating the specific reasons for closure, local authorities could be in trouble in the courts.
The decision should ultimately rest with the chief fire officer. While it is a managerial function to appoint staff, the position of chief fire officer should be paramount and no other official should be allowed to intervene in such matters. Only the courts should have jurisdiction over a fire officer if a case is taken.
Each fire authority has one chief fire officer. This chief fire officer, unlike a politician, cannot be on call 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It would be extremely serious if this power were vested in the chief fire officer alone or in the the county manager. We are vesting this power in the authorised officer, appointed by the fire authority. While it is likely to be the chief fire officer, it may not be necessarily so as it could be the assistant fire officer, senior officers or someone authorised by the manager to issue a closure notice. It could be so serious that to stop and put the notice in writing would be irresponsible. This can be done orally or in writing. Those who contributed on Second Stage referred to some of the extreme cases we have witnessed in the past. If extreme circumstances exist this must be done immediately.
I appreciate what Senator Bannon has said. If a case goes to the courts, the question of what he or she said will be debated. It is extremely important the responsibilities are not transferred from the owner, or person in control on the night, to the authorised officer. All the officer can do is give advice and this is sensible. The only other power available to the authorised officer was the fire safety notice. Its implementation could take some time as it could be appealed to the courts. This Bill is as precise as practical. The chief fire officers and advisers to the Department requested this.
The majority of premises that are good and well run will have no difficulty with this and will welcome any help that can be given to ensure that we take all precautions to ensure patrons attending a function are safe. Everyone that goes out for a night wants to ensure that they are in a safe premises and, as legislators, we have a responsibility to do this.
It is right and proper that we should insert section 29, with the new subsection (5) in section 18 of the Fire Services Act 1981 at this time. We have taken the opportunity to use this Bill as a vehicle to amend the Fire Services Act. While I am not saying Senator Bannon is being irresponsible – I appreciate the principle of what he is saying in trying to improve the Bill – it would be irresponsible of me to accept this amendment.
The Minister of State spoke about the inspection officer and said that he or she would be a suitably qualified person in the fire service area. While managers are wonderful people, they are not qualified in the area of health and safety to the extent of a chief fire officer.
I am not sure if there are any county managers who were chief fire officers. It is somewhat irrelevant. The authorised officers, to be appointed by a fire authority county manager, will definitely be chief fire officers, senior fire officer or assistant fire officers. It is not necessary to insert ", through its Chief Fire Officer or Inspection Officer," as they are all covered under the term "authorised officers".
I welcome the Minister's clarification. A number of persons within the fire authority can have authority to make a decision. That is important as the chief fire officer cannot be in all places at all times.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Section 11 agreed to.
Sections 12 to 14, inclusive, agreed to.
SECTION 15.
Amendments Nos. 2 to 6, inclusive, and amendments Nos. 8 and 9 form a composite proposal and may be discussed together by agreement.
I move amendment No. 2:
In page 14, subsection (1)(a), line 19, after “both,” to insert “fine to be index linked,”.
In respect of the Environment Protection Bill, I moved similar amendments with regard to penalties and I have already expressed my views on that legislation. The fine needs to be index-linked in order to discourage people from breaking the law. In the case of pollution of the environment, the penalty fines on posters throughout the country are in existence for the past nine, ten and 11 years and the countryside continues to be littered. The maximum fine in place, which is less than €800, is indicated on billboards throughout the country. That fine is not relevant today, particularly in light of the problem being created on some of our county roads by people dumping their garbage, etc. If the fine is not index-linked it will appear very minimal in a few years and will not be a serious deterrent. I ask the Minister to consider index-linking the penalty to the crime. If a person is guilty of an offence, the punishment must fit the crime. The penalty proposed in the Bill may appear minimal in five, ten or 15 years. It is important to keep it in line with inflation and the cost of living. The purpose of these amendments, which are reasonable, is to have the fine updated on an annual basis.
I welcome the principle of the amendment and the need to look at the actual amount being levied in fines. If the fines are not index-linked, we will probably have to return with further Bills to increase them as the years go by. Will the Minister of State indicate if this will happen or if some other Minister will bring in legislation? On a number of occasions in the Dáil I raised the issue of paying fines by instalment and I was informed by the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform that he would have to bring in new legislation or the Constitution might have to be changed.
We are all aware of difficult cases. I may be straying from the point made by Senator Bannon, but there are difficulties for people in paying fines. It appears to be the only area where one cannot pay by instalment. Perhaps the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform should bring in a Bill to deal with the question of indexing fines and paying fines by instalment.
I have no difficulty with the principle behind the amendments, which are similar to the amendments tabled in the in Dáil prior to Easter. Of course, a number of years down the road whether the fine is €3,000 or €1.3 million on indictment, it may need to be increased. That is a problem that has always existed. This matter will be resolved and responsibility for the indexation of fines is not a matter for the Department of the Environment and Local Government but for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. That Department has indicated that it is at an advanced stage of drafting a new fines Bill which will include the issue of indexation of fines. I understand the Department is aiming to have the Bill published by the end of the year. The Department's advice, which is supported by the parliamentary counsel, is that we should await the enactment of the proposed fines Bill which will deal with the issue of indexation across all Acts of the Oireachtas. The Bill before House includes the current €3,000 fine, which is the maximum for a summary fine under the District Court fines, and €1.3 million for conviction on indictment. While these are substantial fines, by 2020 they may not be that substantial but indexation will take care of that.
Senators will note that section 25 updates the fines of the Fire Services Act 1981. We are in a position to do that and we wanted to avail of the opportunity of using this Bill as a vehicle to do so. We are anxious to bring them into line with current court fines and we have done so in section 25. Indexation of the fines in this Bill would not be appropriate having regard to the forthcoming fines Bill, which is expected to be published by the end of the year and enacted next year. That will, once and for all, take care of fines and ensure indexation of fines across the spectrum of Acts of the Oireachtas. While I do not disagree with the principle as stated by Senators Bannon and Kitt, I hope my explanation and the publication and enactment of a fines Bill will take care of their concerns.
Is the Minister of State indicating that he is considering index-linking by 2020? He said index-linking would take care of the situation by 2020. I accept that there is a glimmer of hope. I appreciate that he mentioned another Department being involved. Why complicate the matter by bringing extra bureaucracy into the system? Why can it not be done in the context of the Bill? It has been done in other Bills and, perhaps, it should be considered.
Another issue is the high cost of insurance for events where large crowds congregate. We are aware of the astronomical costs. Will the relevant Department introduce legislation to reduce the cost of insurance? When the legislation is improved, insurance costs should be taken into account immediately by the insurance company. For any of us who are involved in organising events, there is always the question of whether they can proceed because of the high cost of insurance. The Licensing of Indoor Events Bill will greatly improve the position because of what it is doing to protect the health and safety of people.
I hope the issue of insuring events will be dealt with quickly. St. Patrick's Day parades, as well as various football, swimming, angling and other events, were under threat this year. We have all had the experience of events which came to a close call. This evening we could be racing at Kilbeggan were it not for a safety issue with regard to an ambulance track around the course. While insurance costs for that particular event are extremely high, I understand the committee had paid the insurance costs. While the right decision was taken in the interests of safety, we would like to see such matters cleared up in order that there would not be a loss to the local economy.
After the close of a racing season, inspections should take place so that the organisers of an event can be cautioned well in advance about the actions they need to take prior to the event taking place. It is regrettable for the midlands and for tourism in the area that Kilbeggan races will not take place this evening. However, that is a different issue. Advance warning should have been given to the organisers of that event.
Acting Chairman
Senator Bannon took us on a fair gallop around the course. It was far removed from index-linking. Having indulged him, this argument—
It concerns people.
Acting Chairman
I have no doubt about it, but not under this section.
Buccaneers Rugby Football Club has a good day out ever year at Kilbeggan.
I am pleased to have the opportunity to clarify what I said earlier. I do not want any ambiguity whatsoever. This has to be totally black and white. I said that if it was not to be index-linked, €3,000, on summary, or €1.3 million, on indictment, in the year 2020, for example, would not be a great deal. I was merely making the point that index-linking would overcome all difficulties. There is no question of inserting anything in the Bill about 2020 or 2030. I was merely providing an example. Fines which were set in legislation in 1981 are not appropriate in 2003. It would be much more sensible if they had been index-linked.
I have no intention of transgressing into the responsibilities of other Ministers. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has general responsibility in that field. However, with regard to insurance, the Licensing of Indoor Events Bill provides for insurance cover, not only for the event but also for the full duration of same. I appreciate that every type of insurance must be dealt with. It is a fixed charge which makes it almost prohibitive for some businesses to survive. All public representatives have experience of this problem. The Government appreciates the seriousness of the matter and the Minister hopes to be able to do something about it. We must remember that it is the private sector which is offering the service. The Tánaiste made it clear that she intends to do something about it. I hope it will be index-linked by next year. That should overcome the concerns of Senators Bannon and Kitt.
The Minister of State says it will be index-linked by next year. Will we have to have a second Licensing of Indoor Events Bill to achieve this?
If that was the situation, we would be sitting 365 days of the year to cover every Bill. A fines Bill will include the issue of indexation and will deal with the issue across all Acts of the Oireachtas. There will be no necessity to return to this Bill. The Finance Bill will deal with the entire spectrum and with all Acts of the Oireachtas. It will not be necessary to return to every Act going back to the foundation of the State.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Amendments Nos. 3 to 6, inclusive, not moved.
Section 15 agreed to.
Sections 16 to 24, inclusive, agreed to.
SECTION 25.
Government amendment No. 7:
In page 18, line 41, to delete "or 20" and substitute ", section 20 or section 20A".
Section 25 replaces section 5 of the Fire Services Act 1981 with a new section 5, which updates the penalty provisions of the 1981 Act and brings them into line with current practice. Indexation will then take over. It also removes the complicated procedures for dealing with offences under sections 18(2), 20 and 37 as set out in the old section 5(3) of the Fire Services Act 1981. This procedure, which involved the DPP and the defendant's right to trial by jury and the Criminal Procedure Act 1967, was a complex and lengthy process and hindered the effective enforcement of the penalty provisions of the Act.
The proposed amendment will make provision for the inclusion of a new section 20A, which is inserted in the Fire Services Act 1981 by section 30 of the Bill. That is the closure notice in section 5 of the Fire Services Act which deals with the penalty provisions of that Act. This amendment is required to provide that an offence under the new section 20A, closure notice of the Fire Services Act 1981, may be prosecuted either as a summary or as an indictable offence. Under the amendment the new section 20A is included with the other sections of the Fire Services Act, namely, sections 18(2) and 20 and regulations made under section 37, which may be prosecuted as either summary or indictable offences.
The amendment aims to include the new section 20A in the Fire Services Act 1981. This new provision ensures that non-compliance with the closure notice may be prosecuted as a summary or indictable offence. This amendment will strengthen the 1981 Act by including these sections.
Amendment agreed to.
Amendments Nos. 8 and 9 not moved.
Section 25, as amended, agreed to.
Sections 26 to 28, inclusive, agreed to.
SECTION 29.
I move amendment No. 10:
In page 21, line 6, after "by" to insert "a Chief Fire Officer or by".
Amendment put.
Tá
|
Bannon, James.Bradford, Paul.Browne, Fergal.Burke, Paddy.Burke, Ulick.Coghlan, Paul.Cummins, Maurice.Finucane, Michael.Hayes, Brian.Henry, Mary. |
Higgins, Jim.McCarthy, Michael.McHugh, Joe.O'Meara, Kathleen.O'Toole, Joe.Phelan, John.Ross, Shane.Ryan, Brendan.Terry, Sheila. |
Níl
|
Bohan, Eddie.Brady, Cyprian.Brennan, Michael.Daly, Brendan.Dardis, John.Dooley, Timmy.Feeney, Geraldine.Fitzgerald, Liam.Glynn, Camillus.Hanafin, John.Kett, Tony.Kitt, Michael P.Leyden, Terry.Lydon, Donal J. |
MacSharry, Marc.Mansergh, Martin.Minihan, John.Mooney, Paschal C.Morrissey, Tom.Moylan, Pat.O'Brien, Francis.O'Rourke, Mary.Ó Murchú, Labhrás.Phelan, Kieran.Scanlon, Eamon.Walsh, Jim.Walsh, Kate.White, Mary M. |
Tellers: Tá, Senators Bannon and U. Burke; Níl, Senators Minihan and Moylan.
Amendment declared lost.
Amendment No. 11 not moved.
Section 29 agreed to.
SECTION 30.
Acting Chairman
Amendments Nos. 12 to 24, inclusive, are related and all may be considered together by agreement.
Government amendment No. 12:
In page 22, line 22, after "declares" to insert ",".
Section 30 deals with the closure notice to be inserted into the Fire Service Act 1981. These amendments have been recommended by the parliamentary counsel and are mainly textual or technical in scope. Their purpose is to improve the text of the Bill and provide for greater clarity in the provisions of the section.
Is the purpose of the amendment to fast-track action, for example, in cases where an offence is committed?
No. The amendments are mainly textual or technical in scope. For example, amendment No. 12 inserts a comma after the word "declares" in page 22, line 22; amendment No. 13 inserts the word "or" after the word "served," in page 22, line 23 and amendment No. 20 inserts the words "and obtained" after the word "sought" in page 23, line 45. The amendments seek to improve the Bill, not to provide for fast-tracking.
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 13:
In page 22, line 23, after "served," to insert "or".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 14:
In page 22, lines 37 and 38, to delete "notice: provided, however that" and substitute "notice but".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 15:
In page 22, lines 47 and 48, to delete "in the prescribed manner".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 16:
In page 23, line 14, to delete ", as appropriate,".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 17:
In page 23, to delete line 18.
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 18:
In page 23, lines 41 and 42, to delete "complied with" and substitute "remedied".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 19:
In page 23, line 43, after "by" to insert "notice in".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 20:
In page 23, line 45, after "by" to insert "and obtained".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 21:
In page 23, line 48, to delete "complied with," and substitute "remedied, or".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 22:
In page 23, lines 50 and 51, to delete "complied with" and substitute "remedied".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 23:
In page 23, line 51, to delete "no longer concerned" and substitute "of the opinion".
Amendment agreed to.
Government amendment No. 24:
In page 24, line 7, to delete "(12)" and substitute "(11)".
Amendment agreed to.
Section 30, as amended, agreed to.
Sections 31 to 34, inclusive, agreed to.
Title agreed to.
Bill reported with amendments and received for final consideration.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."
I thank the Senators who participated in the debate on Second and Committee Stages. Amendments tabled by the Government were important and I thank the House for accepting them unanimously. The amendments which have been approved here will be considered by the Dáil as soon as possible and the Bill will hopefully be enacted at an early date.
I wish to respond to an issue which is in the public domain today and which was raised during the debate by Senator Kitt. The Senator highlighted the fact that while Ireland is reported to suffer one of the highest international levels of fatality resulting from fire, it has one of the lowest levels of expenditure on fire services. I thank the Chair for its indulgence and I am glad of the opportunity to urge caution, as does the report in question, in making international comparisons.
It is not easy to compare like with like. The source of the statistics in the report on Irish fatality figures added an arbitrary 24% for cases which may not have been reported. This was also done in the cases of some other countries while the comparative expenditure figures outlined are similarly fraught given the different tasks undertaken by fire services in different countries. Like is not being compared with like necessarily. It is interesting that the report shows that the four highest per capita spending countries have, nevertheless, relatively high levels of fire fatalities. However, one life lost is one too many and we must do whatever it takes, including spending more money, to reduce fatalities.
The greatest benefit is to be gained through targeting preventative measures at households. In the period 1980 to 2002, inclusive, there was a capital investment of €177 million in fire services. Over 130 new or refurbished fire stations were provided, over 400 fire appliances and other fire fighting emergency and rescue equipment was purchased and the computer aided mobilisation projects, CAMP, were put in place. This year has seen a record allocation of €18.838 million in funding. While there have been some adjustments in the various Estimates, I am happy to confirm that the fire services have maintained the record level of investment of last year. Local fire authorities spend approximately €136 million annually to provide fire and emergency services. I hope that I have provided some clarification to the House.
I take this opportunity to thank and congratulate all of the professionals in the fire service who are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to provide a public service. I witnessed that service at first hand over Easter as gorse fires were tackled between Good Friday and Easter Sunday in various parts of the country. In my own county, every single fire unit was called out to prevent the burning of any more houses than that which was lost. A number of vehicles were also burned.
I also take this opportunity to call on those who were inadvertently responsible by lighting these gorse fires to be more careful. The damage to wildlife and the general area cannot be undone, no matter what funding the State provides. I thank the members of the fire service for their dedication, commitment and professionalism in the job they do very well.
I thank the Minister of State for coming before the House to deal, in such an efficient manner, with the Bill. I am glad he has responded to the issues of fatalities from fires and the level of investment in fire services, which I raised earlier. He has outlined the amount of money which has been provided for fire services. The county managers and chief fire officers in every county will rightly seek more money and we will all support them.
The Minister of State referred also to the great work of the fire authorities and the fire services over Easter in fighting the many gorse and furze fires in Galway and other western counties. The fire brigades had to be called out quickly right through the Easter period to deal with those fires. There was much damage done to the environment though there were, thankfully, no injuries in County Galway. We must emphasise the need to prevent fires of this type.
While the debate dealt with the licensing of indoor events, I hope we can return to a discussion of issues relating to the fire service. Senator Bannon's amendments suggest that we will examine the questions of fines and indexation when another Minister attends the House. We have had a fine debate on many issues surrounding the fire service, particularly as they relate to the licensing of indoor events.
I join Senator Kitt in complimenting the Minister of State on the manner in which he shepherded the Bill through the Seanad. He came before the House for all Stages, which is much appreciated. I join the Minister in complimenting the fire services on the wonderful work they do. It is usual for politicians to have complaints about different areas of action within their local authority, but in my 18 years as a public representative I have never had a complaint about the fire services. I record their commitment to the health and safety of people in my county. The same could be said for every county because we seldom hear complaints about the fire service. It is important that local authorities recognise retiring members of the service more than they do in some counties. It should be recognised that members work partly in a voluntary capacity and are on call 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The heroism of the firemen in America brought it home to us that we have an equally good service in Ireland. I compliment all those involved.
The Licensing of Indoor Events Bill is important in terms of improving safety standards. It all started in 1990 with the Hamilton report and recommendations were made in 1998. The Bill is now being passed in the Seanad and is very welcome. I hope it will be effective for a long time to come.
I, too, acknowledge and appreciate the professional manner in which the Minister of State, Deputy Gallagher, dealt with this legislation. As we know, the fire service provides an absolutely vital emergency service and those involved risk life and limb to ensure there is a better and far safer society. Society deserves and demands no less from us than the speedy passage of this legislation for which I thank the Minister of State.
I, too, compliment the Minister of State and the staff of the Department on this legislation. I join previous speakers in complimenting the fire service. There is no doubt that it has an enormous amount of work to do. The Minister of State mentioned the figure of €136 million spent last year – money very well spent. We all appreciate the great strides the fire service has made at local authority level. I would like to see adequate finances made available to local authorities and the fire service in future years to implement this legislation.
I congratulate the Minister of State and his officials for bringing this excellent Bill through the House and wish to be associated with the remarks of my colleagues. As I said on Second Stage, I have a particular interest in the Bill which I am sure will go a long way towards assuaging some of the fears people have about safety.
Question put and agreed to.
Sitting suspended at 4.45 p.m. and resumed at 6 p.m.