Committee Reports::Report No. 02 (1954) - Statutory Instruments [80]::21 April, 1954::Proceedings of the Joint Committee

IMEACHTA AN CHOISTE.

THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE.

Dé Céadaoin, 21ú Aibreán, 1954.

Wednesday, 21st April, 1954.

1. The Committee met at 2.30 p.m.


2. Members Present.


The following members were present:


Senators O’Brien (in the Chair), Fearon, Hawkins, McGuire and Ó Ciosáin.


3. The Committee deliberated.


4. Instruments Considered.


The following Statutory Instruments were considered by the Committee:—


Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Alteration of Fees) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 214 of 1953).


Control of Exports Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 226 of 1953).


Garda Síochána Pay Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 235 of 1953).


Local Government (Dublin) (Temporary) Act, 1948 (Continuance No. 1) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 236 of 1953).


The Postal Order (Inland) Amendment (No. 5) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 249 of 1953).


National School Teachers’ Super-annuation (Amendment) Scheme, 1953 (S.I. No. 255 of 1953).


Housing (Gaeltacht) (General) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 270 of 1953).


Carriage of Wheat Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 278 of 1953).


Inland Post Amendment (No. 4) Warrant, 1953 (S.I. No. 279 of 1953).


Milling Licences (Times for Making Returns) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 282 of 1953).


Garda Síochána (Appointments) Regulations, 1945 (Amendment) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 291 of 1953).


Committees of Agriculture (Salaries of Officers) Regulations, 1952 (Amendment) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 303 of 1953).


Social Welfare (Assistance Decisions and Appeals) (No. 2) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 305 of 1953).


Creamery Butter and Butter Boxes (No. 2) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 307 of 1953).


Roll Butter (No. 2) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 308 of 1953).


Creamery Butter (Levy) (No. 2) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 309 of 1953).


Social Welfare (Determination of Expenditure on Pensions) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 310 of 1953).


Emergency Powers (No. 282) Order, 1943 (Toilet Paper) (Amendment) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 311 of 1953).


Prohibition of Import (Dried or Powdered Milk) (No. 2) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 313 of 1953).


Control of Exports (Amendment) (No. 1) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 314 of 1953).


Vocational Education Act, 1930 (Requisitions for Birth Certificates) (Amendment) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 318 of 1953).


Mild Steel and Iron (Maximum Prices) Order, 1947 (Revocation) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 319 of 1953).


Housing (Management and Letting) (Amendment) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 336 of 1953).


Minister for Finance (Agency) (No. 6) Order, 1953 (S.I. 337 of 1953).


Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) (Countries of Application) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 343 of 1953).


Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) (Transitional Provisions) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 344 of 1953).


Merchant Shipping (Accepted Safety Convention Certificates) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 345 of 1953).


Merchant Shipping (Grain) Rules, 1953 (S.I. No. 348 of 1953).


Regulation of Export (Christmas Season Exemption) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 349 of 1953).


Wild Birds (County Kerry) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 351 of 1953).


Air Navigation (Personnel Licensing) (Amendment) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 353 of 1953).


Exchange Control Order, 1947 (Supplemental Provisions) (No. 1) Order, 1947 (Amendment) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 368 of 1953).


Conditions of Employment (Woollen and Worsted Industry) (Exclusion) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 371 of 1953).


Minister for Finance (Agency) (No. 7) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 373 of 1953).


Local Government (Dublin) (Temporary) Act, 1948 (Continuance No. 2) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 376 of 1953).


Standard Specification (Irish Homespun Tweed) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 383 of 1953).


Standard Specification (Cotton Dungaree Cloth) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 384 of 1953).


Standard Specification (Clayware Land Drainage Pipes) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 385 of 1953).


Standard Specification (Clayware Flue Liners for Open Fires) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 386 of 1953).


Standard Specification (Pressed Steel Rainwater Goods) Order, 1953 S.I. No. 388 of 1953).


Standard Specification (Finished Wallpaper) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 389 of 1953).


Standard Specification (Wallpaper Base) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 390 of 1953).


Standard Specification (Bitumen Damp-Proof Courses) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 391 of 1953).


Control of Exports (Amendment) (No. 2) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 396 of 1953).


Merchant Shipping Act, 1894 (Adaptation) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 398 of 1953).


Social Welfare Act, 1952 (Section 71) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 407 of 1953).


Minister for Finance (Agency) (No. 8) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 408 of 1953).


Road Vehicles (Additional Index Mark) (No. 2) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 411 of 1953).


Emergency Powers (No. 251) Order, 1943 (Revocation) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 412 of 1953).


Emergency Powers (Milling Offals) Order, 1943 (Revocation) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 413 of 1953).


Emergency Powers (Suspension Orders) (Revocation) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 4 of 1954).


Emergency Powers (Orders relating to Pigs, Pork and Bacon) (Revocation) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 5 of 1954).


Imported Butter (Maximum Wholesale Prices) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 7 of 1954).


Butter (Maximum Prices) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 8 of 1954).


Emergency Powers (No. 258) Order, 1943 (Silk and Artificial Silk) (Amendment) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 11 of 1954).


Emergency Powers (Restriction on Industrial Use of Potatoes) Order, 1943 (Revocation) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 14 of 1954).


Butter (Prices for Butter Sold under Permit) (No. 2) Order, 1951 (Revocation) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 16 of 1954).


Minister for Finance (Agency) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 18 of 1954).


The Inland Post Amendment (No. 6) Warrant, 1954 (S.I. No. 23 of 1954).


Statistics (Census of Production) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 26 of 1954).


Game Birds Protection Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 27 of 1954).


Medical Preparations (Barbiturates) Regulations, 1954 (S.I. No. 30 of 1954).


Emergency Powers (No. 282) Order, 1943 (Milk Cans Amendment) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 31 of 1954).


Minister for Finance (Agency) (No. 2) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 41 of 1954).


Fisheries (Transfer of Ministerial Functions) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 43 of 1954).


Unemployment Assistance (Employment Period) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 45 of 1954).


Gas Fund (Contribution) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 47 of 1954).


Statistics (Census of Distribution) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 48 of 1954).


Agricultural and Fishery Products (Regulation of Export) Act, 1947 (Export of Poultry and Rabbits) Order, 1950 (Temporary Amendment) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 49 of 1954).


Prohibition of Storage of Rabbits Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 50 of 1954).


Statistics (Census of Production) (Forms) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 51 of 1954).


Fishing Weir Operation (No. 1) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 55 of 1954).


Customs Duties (Miscellaneous Suspensions) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 57 of 1954).


Sheepskin (Prohibition of Export) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 58 of 1954).


Health Act, 1953 (Date of Commencement) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 62 of 1954).


Longford County Council (Amendment) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 63 of 1954).


Sugar (Prohibition of Import) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 69 of 1954).


Defence Force Regulations 1/54— Annual Training, 1954.


Defence Force Regulations 2/54— Annual Training, 1954.


Defence Force Regulations 4/54— The Reserve of Men—First Line.


5. Report of Committee.


The Chairman brought forward a Draft Report which was read the first time as follows:


1. This Report has reference to eighty (80) instruments examined since the Committee’s First Report dated 17th December, 1953.


2. There does not appear to be any reason for drawing the attention of the Seanad to any of the eighty (80) instruments examined in respect of grounds (i) to (iv) inclusive of paragraph (1) of the Orders of Reference.


3. As regards ground (v) of paragraph (1) of the Orders of Reference (viz., that there appears to have been unjustifiable delay in laying any statutory rule, order or regulation before the House) the Committee is of opinion that the special attention of the Seanad should be drawn to the Vocational Education Act, 1930 (Requisition for Birth Certificates) (Amendment) Regulations, 1953 (S.I. No. 318 of 1953). These regulations were made on 6th October, 1953 and were not presented to the Seanad until 1st December, 1953. The Department of Education have furnished an explanation of the delay [See Appendix].


4. As regards ground (vi) of paragraph (1) of the Orders of Reference (viz. that for any special reason the form or purport called for elucidation) the Committee is of opinion that the attention of the Seanad should be drawn to Emergency Powers (No. 251) Order, 1943 (Revocation) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 412 of 1953) and to Emergency Powers (Suspension Orders) (Revocation) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 4 of 1954), neither of which, in its title or its text, gives any indication of the subject matter dealt with.


5. In the case of each of the following four (4) instruments, viz.:— Local Government (Dublin) (Temporary) Act, 1948 (Continuance No. 1) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 236 of 1953); Local Government (Dublin) (Temporary) Act, 1948 (Continuance No. 2) Order, 1953 (S.I. No. 376 of 1953); Emergency Powers (No. 258) Order, 1943 (Silk and Artificial Silk) (Amendment) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 11 of 1954); and the Customs Duties (Miscellaneous Suspensions) Order, 1954 (S.I. No. 57 of 1954) there is no clear indication in the text of the document of the purpose of the instrument. Each of these instruments can be interpreted only by reference to a multiplicity of previous instruments and statutes. The Committee repeats the view expressed in its First Report that the attaching of a brief explanatory memorandum to a complicated instrument would be very desirable in the public interest.


Motion made (Senator Ó Ciosáin):


“That the Chairman’s Draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph.”


Question put, and agreed to.


Paragraphs 1 to 5 inclusive, agreed to.


Motion made (Senator Ó Ciosáin):


“That the Chairman’s Draft Report be the Report of the Committee.”


Question put, and agreed to.


Ordered: That the Report be presented to the Seanad.


6. Adjournment.


The Committee adjourned at 2.45 p.m.