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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 2 Jul 1998

Vol. 493 No. 5

Written Answers. - British-Irish Agreement.

Dinny McGinley

Ceist:

55 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the legislation he will bring forward as a result of the Good Friday Agreement. [16473/98]

Ruairí Quinn

Ceist:

80 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will list the specific pieces of legislation which the Government has to introduce to the Houses of the Oireachtas arising from the Good Friday Agreement; when they have to be enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13691/98]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 80 together.

The Attorney General is currently considering the extent to which, if any, it may be necessary to define in legislation the role and responsibilities of the North/South Ministerial Council. Legislation will be required to establish the North/South Implementation Bodies which must first be identified by the deadline of 31 October as set out in the British-Irish Agreement.

Other aspects of the Agreement involving legislative commitments will fall largely to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. In that regard, I would refer the Deputies to the response provided by that Minister to Parliamentary Question No. 49 from Deputy Rabbitte on 25 June. Since then, there have been two further developments of relevance. The Decommissioning Act, 1997 (Decommissioning) Regulations, 1998 and the Decommissioning Act, 1997 (Sections 5 and 6) (Commencement) Order 1998 were made by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The same Minister also published the Criminal Justice (Release of Prisoners) Bill, 1998, on Tuesday, with all Stages to be taken in the House today and in the Seanad tomorrow.
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