The Gazette 1992

GAZETTE

SEPTEMBER 1992

Presented 10/12/90. Present position: passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas 15/4/92. Enacted 23/4/92. Commencement date: 23 April, 1992. Road Bill, 1991 (Bill No. 12 of 1991) (With Explanatory and Financial Memorandum) This Bill provides for the construction and maintenance of public roads, establishes a national roads authority, provides for motorways, busways and protected roads, and other connected matters. Presented by the Minister for the Environment 25/4/91. Present position: referred to a Special Committee of the Dail 7/7/92. Dublin Institute of Technology Act, 1992 (No. 15 of 1992) (With Explanatory Memorandum as initiated) This Act establishes the Dublin Institute of Technology, defines its functions and provides for connected matters. Presented by the Minister for Education 14/6/91. Present position: passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas 10/7/92. Commencement date: expected to be 1 January, 1993. Regional Technical Colleges Act, 1992 (No. 16 of 1992) (With Explanatory Memorandum as initiated) This Act establishes statutorily as Regional Technical Colleges the existing nine such Colleges as well as the Limerick College of Art, Commerce and Tfechnolgy; defines main functions and provides for connected matters.

Presented by the Minister for Education 14/6/91. Present position: passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas 10/7/92. Commencement date: expected to be 1 January, 1993.

Eamonn G. Hall

Selected Government Acts and Bills Before the Oireachtas 1992

Patents Act, 1992 (No. 1 of 1992)

The following list includes selected Government Acts and Bills as at July 16, 1992. The Dail adjourned on July, 10, and the Seanad on July 16, 1992 for the summer recess. (Dissolution) Bill, 1989 (Bill No. 11 of 1989) (With Explanatory Memorandum) This Bill 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 of Agriculture and Food 2/3/89. Present position: at Committee stage in the Dail 11/6/92. Agency Act, 1992 (No. 7 of 1992) (With Explanatory Memorandum as initiated) This Act 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 environmental quality; the provision of support, back-up and advisory services to public authorities and the promotion and co-ordination of environmental research. The Act also provides for a number of miscellaneous matters relating to the protection of the environment and for the increase of certain penalties. Irish Land Commission Environmental Protection

This Act makes new provisions in respect of patents and related matters in substitution for the provisions of the Patent Acts, 1964 and 1966, which are repealed subject to transitional provisions; enables effect to be given to certain international conventions on patents. Presented by the Minister for Industry and Commerce 15/7/91. Present position: passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas 19/2/92. Enacted: 27/2/92. Commencement date: 1 August, 1992. Solicitors' (Amendment) Bill, 1991 (Bill No. 31 of 1991) (With Explanatory Memorandum) This Bill amends and extends the Solicitors' Acts 1954 and 1960. The more important provisions are as follows: increases the Law Society's powers to deal with complaints against solicitors and to intervene in solicitors' practices; provides for the appointment of a legal ombudsman with power to oversee the handling by the Society of complaints against solicitors; strengthens the powers of the Disciplinary Committee of the High Court and provides for lay membership thereof; amends the law relating to the Compensation Fund to provide that claims on the Fund may in future be made only by persons who are clients of solicitors; provides for compulsory professional indemnity insurance, updates and amends the Society's functions in relation to the education and training of solicitors; promotes competition in the provision of legal 259