As Senators are aware, this is an annual Bill which merely proposes to continue for a further year certain enactments or portions of enactments which would otherwise expire on the 31st December. The measures being continued are listed in the Schedule to the Bill.
The Labourers (Ireland) Act, 1883, is omitted from the list this year, as the Housing (Amendment) Act, 1950, has continued it in operation for five years, that is, up to the 31st December, 1955. The explanatory memorandum which has been circulated with the Bill explains why the other measures have to be continued in operation for a further period.
The replacement of these Acts by permanent legislation forms part of the wider question of consolidating and modernising the whole code of local government law. The Local Government (Repeal of Enactments) Act, which recently became law, cleared away many obsolete provisions in the local government code. I would like to take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the work done by the Special Committee of the Seanad which so meticulously examined this very complicated measure. The Repeal of Enactments Act was merely a first step towards the eventual simplification and modernisation of the legislation dealing with local government. We are already proceeding with the next steps. The preparation of proposals for the codification of the electoral law, the general local government law and the sanitary law are well under way in the Department.
I do not think Senators will require from me any more elaborate explanation of this Bill.