Thursday 25th November 2004
Taoiseach announces regulatory reform
The Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern TD, today, announced publication of the Statute
Law Revision (pre 1922) Bill 2004 to repeal 91 Acts which are still on the Statute
Book but are no longer required. A list of the Acts proposed for repeal is
attached. Further Acts are likely to be added to the list for repeal when the Bill is
going through the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Announcing the Bill, the Taoiseach said: “We have tended to keep adding to the
stock of regulation and not revisit it”. The Bill published today helps to address
this imbalance by repealing legislation that is no longer required. It is the first
step towards a major overhaul of pre-1922 law. It forms part of ongoing work
in the area of regulatory reform which is being overseen by the Taoiseach’s
Department in close cooperation with the Office of the Attorney General.
As it currently stands, the Bill will repeal 91 laws ranging from the Statute of
Winchester 1285 to the Treaties of Washington Act 1922. The intention of the Bill
is to remove redundant law from the Statute Book which has accumulated over
time. It will make the law more accessible and understandable. Combined
with further measures, this initiative will help to reduce the transaction costs
associated with accessing and dealing with the law on an everyday basis.
The Taoiseach told the conference that Statute Law Revision initiatives such as
this are one part of an overall plan to improve the quality of regulation. This
plan was set out last January in the Government’s White Paper, Regulating
Better (www.betterregulation.ie). Other elements of the plan include conducting a
Regulatory Impact Analysis of new legislation and reducing the amount of “red
tape” affecting businesses.
The Taoiseach made the announcement at a major conference in the
Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin this morning (Thursday 25th November, 9.00am).
Senior policy makers, independent sectoral regulators, representatives of the
business sector and the legal profession will attend the conference. The
Taoiseach also spoke about criticisms that there are too many independent
sectoral regulators. On the question of a so-called “super regulator”, the
Taoiseach said that “we need to have a debate about this issue of “regulatory
architecture” or design – how many regulators we want, what their mandates
should be and how we can make them more accountable?”
Ends
Session and Chapter
Short Title
4 Anne c. 12
2 Geo. 1. c. 17
10 Geo. 1. c. 5
7 Geo. 2. c. 9
15 Geo. 2. c. 10
17 Geo. 2. c. 5
23 Geo. 2. c. 9
11 Geo. 3. c. 6
11 & 12 Geo. 3. c. 28
13 Edw. 1. c. 6
18 Eliz. c. 15
5 Geo. 1. c. 11
31 Geo. 2. c. 11
17 Geo. 3. c. 29
46 Geo. 3. c. 71
50 Geo. 3. c. 82
54 Geo. 3. c. 159
56 Geo. 3. c. 138
57 Geo. 3. c. 108
58 Geo. 3:
c. 30
c. 31
7 Geo. 4. c. 21
9 Geo. 4. c. 66
2 & 3 Will. 4. c. 21
3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 24
1 & 2 Vict. c. 28
3 & 4 Vict. c. 85
4 & 5 Vict. c. 46
5 & 6 Vict. c. 75
6 & 7 Vict. c. 8
7 & 8 Vict. c. 99
8 & 9 Vict. c. 77
9 & 10 Vict:
c. 24
c. 48
c. 76
c. 87
11 & 12 Vict:
c. 13
State Minerals Act 1705
Servants Act 1715
Mining Leases Act 1723
Spinners Act 1733
Mining Leases Act 1741
Slaughter of Cattle Act 1743
Mining Leases Act 1749
Burning of Bricks (Dublin) Act 1770
Lime Kilns (Dublin) Act 1771
Statute of Winchester (1285)
An Act for Reformation of Abuses in Goldsmiths (1575-76)
Adulteration of Coffee Act 1718
Apprentices (Settlement) Act 1757
Adulteration of Tea Act 1776
Mines (Ireland) Act 1806
Flax and Hemp Seed (Ireland) 1810
Harbours Act 1814
Pillory Abolition Act 1816
Tolls (Ireland) Act 1817
Costs Act 1818
Court Houses (Ireland) Act 1818
Mandamus (Ireland) Act 1826
Nautical Almanack Act 1828
Coal Trade (Ireland) Act 1832
Government Annuities Act 1833
Bread (Ireland) Act 1838
Chimney Sweepers and Chimneys Regulation Act 1840
Tralee Navigation Act 1841
Charitable Pawn Offices (Ireland) Act 1842
Justices (Ireland) Act 1843
Tralee Navigation Act 1844
Hosiery Act 1845
Central Criminal Court Act 1846
Art Unions Act 1846
Exclusive Trading (Ireland) Act 1846
Baths and Washhouses (Ireland) Act 1846
Mining Leases (Ireland) Act 1848
13 & 14 Vict:
c. 4
c. 89
16 & 17 Vict. c. 119
20 & 21 Vict. c. 7
21 & 22 Vict. c. 52
24 & 25 Vict:
c. 45
c. 47
25 & 26 Vict. c. 19
27 & 28 Vict. c. 37
Bridges (Ireland) Act 1850
Court of Chancery (Ireland) Regulation Act 1850
Betting Act 1853
Grand Jury Cess (Ireland) Act 1857
Inferior Courts Officers (Ireland) Act 1858
General Pier and Harbour Act 1861
Harbour and Passing Tolls, etc. Act 1861
General Pier and Harbour Act 1861 Amendment Act (1862)
Chimney Sweepers Regulation Act 1864
28 & 29 Vict. c. 125
29 & 30 Vict. c. 30
31 & 32 Vict. c. 33
32 & 33 Vict. c. 112
33 & 34 Vict. c. 70
36 & 37 Vict. c. 89
37 & 38 Vict. c. 36
38 & 39 Vict:
c. 70
c. 82
40 & 41 Vict. c. 11
41 & 42 Vict. c. 17
42 & 43 Vict:
c. 28
c. 34
c. 74
43 & 44 Vict. c. 47
47 & 48 Vict. c. 45
48 & 49 Vict. c. 45
51 & 52 Vict. c. 55
54 & 55 Vict. c. 36
55 & 56 Vict. c. 42
56 & 57 Vict. c. 41
57 & 58 Vict. c. 37
59 & 60 Vict. c. 8
60 & 61 Vict:
c. 52
c. 55
c. 60
3 Edw 7. c. 45
6 Edw 7. c. 43
7 Edw 7. c. 8
8 Edw 7. c. 56
9 Edw 7:
c. 3
c. 21
10 Edw 7. c. 20
1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 35
3 & 4 Geo. 5. c. 17
6 & 7 Geo. 5:
c. 25
c. 66
9 & 10 Geo. 5:
c. 51
c. 71
c. 77
10 & 11 Geo. 5 c. 28
11 & 12 Geo. 5:
c. 13
c. 25
c. 66
12 & 13 Geo. 5. c. 21
Dockyard Port Regulation Act 1865
Harbour Loans Act 1866
Cotton Statistics Act 1868
Adulteration of Seeds Act 1869
Gas and Water Works Facilities Act 1870
Gas and Water Works Facilities Act 1870 Amendment Act 1873
False Personation Act 1874
Chimney Sweepers Act 1875
National School Teachers Residences (Ireland) Act 1875
Jurisdiction in Rating Act 1877
Adulteration of Seeds Act 1878
Convention (Ireland) Act Repeal Act 1879
Children’s Dangerous Performances Act 1879
National School Teachers Act 1879
Ground Game Act 1880
National School Teachers Residences (Ireland) Amendment Act
1884
Post Office (Sites) Act 1885
Sand-Grouse Protection Act 1888
Consular Salaries and Fees Act 1891
Irish Education Act 1892
Irish Education Act 1893
Locomotive Threshing Engines Act 1894
Life Assurance Companies (Payment into Court) Act 1896
Dangerous Performances Act 1897
Wicklow Harbour Advances Act 1897
Chaff-Cutting Machines (Accidents) Act 1897
Employment of Children Act 1903
Street Betting Act 1906
Assay of Imported Watch-Cases (Existing Stocks Exemption) Act
1907
Tuberculosis Prevention (Ireland) Act 1908
Labour Exchanges Act 1909
Irish Handloom Weavers Act 1909
Diseases of Animals Act 1910
Local Authorities (Ireland) (Qualification of Women) Act 1911
Fabrics (Misdescription) Act 1913
Gas (Standard of Calorific Power) Act 1916
Dublin Reconstruction (Emergency Provisions) Act 1916
Checkweighing in Various Industries Act 1919
Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919
National Insurance (Unemployment) Act 1919
Gas Regulation Act 1920
Captive Birds Shooting (Prohibition) Act 1921
National Health Insurance Act 1921
National Health Insurance (Prolongation of Insurance) Act 1921
Treaties of Washington Act 1922