The Gazette 1991

i SEPTEMBER 1991

GAZETTE

Irish Land Commission Bill, 1989. Provisions: provides for the dissolution of the Irish Land Commission, for the winding up of the system of land purchase, for the transfer of certain functions exercisable under the Land Purchase Acts, and for other connected matters. Presented in the Dail by the Minister for Agriculture and Food 2/3/89. Present position: at second stage in the Dail 4/5/89. Provisions: amends the law on limitation of actions in so far as it applies to latent personal injuries; provides t hat the three-year limitation period in personal injuries cases will run from the date of accrual of the cause of action (as at present) or, if later, from the date of knowledge, i.e. the date on which the person injured (or other person by or on whose behalf an action is taken) discovered, or should have discovered, that there was a cause of action. This follows in substance the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission (Report on the Statute of Limitations; Claims in respect of Latent Personal Injuries LRC 21-1987). Amends and extends the Statute of Limitations, 1957 and amends related provisions in other statutes. Presented in the Seanad by Senator M. Lanigan 30/4/90. Present position: passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas 4/7/91 and enacted. Criminal Damage Bill, 1990 Provisions: amends the law relating to offences of damage to property and provides for connected matters. Replaces the multiplicity of offences of damage to specific kinds of property in the Malicious Damage Act, 1861 with three offences of damage to property in general. The Bill is based, in the main, on the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission in its Report on Malicious Damage (LRC 26-1988). Presented by the Minister for Justice 18/9/90. Present position: at Committee stage in the Dail 19/6/91. Statute Limitations (Amendment) Act, 1991. (No 18 of 1991). of

Courts (Supplemental Provisions) (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1991 (No. 23 of 1991). Provisions: extends to members of the judiciary and specific court officers certain pension benefits which are already available to most other groups in the public service; amends the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act, 1961, and the Courts of Justice and Court Officers (Superannuation) Act, 1961, and provides for other related matters. Presented by Senator Sean Fallon 25/10/90. Present position: passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas 10/7/91 and enacted. Explanatory Memo). Provisions: provides for the establishment of an Environmental Protection Agency which will have the following main functions: the control and regulation of scheduled activities likely to pose a major risk to environmental quality; the general monitoring of environ- mental quality; the provision of support, back-up and advisory services to public authorities and the promotion and co-ordination of environmental research. The Bill also provides for a number of miscellaneous matters relating to the protection of the environment and for the increase of certain penalties. Presented by Senator Sean Fallon 10/12/90. Present position: passed by Seanad Eireann 4/7/91. Provisions: provides for the recognition of foreign adoption orders in circumstances as recommended by the Law Reform Commission (LRC Report No. 29, May, 1989, on the Recognition of Foreign Adoption Decrees) and also for the extension of recognition in specified additional circumstances which would include adoption orders made in Romania in favour of Irish couples. Environmental Protection Agency Bill, 1990 (plus Adoption Act, 1991 (No. 14 of 1991) changed from Recognition of Foreign Adoptions Bill, 1990.

Contractual Obligations (Applicable Law) Act, 1991 (No. 8 of 1991) Provisions: to give the force of law to the Convention on the law applicable to Contractual Obliga- tions signed at Rome on behalf of the State on 19th June, 1980, and the Convention on the Accession of the Hellenic Republic to the aforesaid Convention signed at Luxembourg on 10th April, 1984, and provides for connected matters. Presented by Senator Sean Fallon 15/10/90. Present position: passed by both Houses of Oireachtas 2/5/91 and enacted. Child and Enforcemant of Custody Orders Act, 1991 (No. 6 of 1991). Provisions: gives the force of the law in the State to: (a) the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, signed at the Hague on 25th October, 1980 (The Hague Convention) and (b) the European Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions concerning Custody of Children and on Restoration of Custody of Children, signed at Luxembourg on 20th May, 1980 (the Luxembourg Convention). Presented by the Minister for Justice 18/10/90. Present position: passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas 21/3/91 and enacted. Destructive Insects and Pests (Amendment) Act, 1991 (No. 4 of 1991). Provisions: amends the Destructive insects and Pests (Consolida- tion) Act, 1958, to provide effect- ive deterrents under that Act against the i n t roduc t i on or spreading of destructive insects and pests which could have devastating economic effects through crop losses and/or the need for expensive eradication measures. Presented by the Minister for Agriculture and Food 19/10/90. Present position: passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas 13/3/91 and enacted. Abduction

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