Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 November 2019
588. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number, date of publication and details of post-enactment reports published by her Department since March 2011, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46088/19]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question No 282 of 10th October last and wish to confirm that the position is unchanged from that time. For the Deputy's convenience, the relevant details in respect of the six Acts brought forward by my Department that been signed into law since 2011, are again set out in the following table.
|
Name of Act |
Date Act signed into law |
|
Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2012 |
24 July 2012 |
|
Acht na Gaeltachta 2012 |
25 July 2012 |
|
National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Act 2015 |
10 December 2015 |
|
National Archives (Amendment) Act 2018* |
14 July 2018 |
|
Heritage Act 2018 |
18 July 2018 |
|
Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 2018 |
24th December 2018 |
*Act has not yet been commenced
The position in relation to post-enactment reports undertaken by my Department in respect of these Acts is set out below.
The purpose of the National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Act 2015 was to place the National Concert Hall on a statutory footing and provide for appropriate reporting and accounting to the Minister and onwards to the Oireachtas, while not impinging on curatorial independence. A post enactment report in respect of this legislation was lodged in the Oireachtas library on Monday 15 July 2019.
The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2012, extended arrangements set out in the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2010 regarding provisions that deemed all holders of valid firearm certificates issued for shotguns between August 1st 2009 and July 31st 2012 to be the holders of a hunting licence under the Wildlife Acts for the purposes of hunting game bird and hare species. Given that the practical effect of this change was considered minimal, it has not been considered necessary to undertake a post enactment report.
An tAcht na Gaeltachta 2012 provided for the introduction of a language planning process, primarily in Gaeltacht areas, as set out in the 20 Year Strategy for the Irish Language 2010-2030 and for changes in the size and method of appointment of members to the board of Údarás na Gaeltachta. As the full impact of both of these provisions will only become fully evident over the course of an extended period the appropriate timing for the undertaking of a Post Enactment Report of this Act remains under consideration.
The conduct of post enactment reports in respect of the National Archives (Amendment) Act 2018, the Heritage Act 2018, and the Irish Film Board (Amendment) Act 2018, all of which were enacted in 2018, will also be considered in due course.
