Government’s legislative repeal programme to be put on hold

The Government’s programme of repealing obsolete laws is to be put on hold in order for progress to be made elsewhere, The Irish Times reports.

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe said that more than 60,000 pieces of legislation “have been either expressly or implicitly repealed” since 2003.

He added: “Collectively this is the most extensive set of repealing measures in the history of the State and the most extensive set of statute law revision measures ever enacted anywhere in the world.”

But in response to a question by Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Jim O’Callaghan on whether the programme was to continue, Mr Donohoe said he intends to put further repeal on hold “in order that my department can progress other priorities”.

At present, the Statute Law Revision Bill is making its way through the Oireachtas. It will see 300 bills enacted between 1922 and 1950 expunged from the statute books.

Among the laws to be repealed is the Public Safety (Emergency Powers) Act 1923, which meant anyone guilty of armed revolt against the Government or Saorstát Éireann could be put to death or given penal servitude.

The Statute Law Revision Act 2015 rid the books of 6,000 outdated laws and proclamations made in the 800 years prior to 1821.

One was a 1533 proclamation that disallowed criticism of the marriage of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn following his divorce from Catherine of Aragon.

It also abolished an 1817 proclamation that eating oatmeal and potatoes should be confined to the “lower orders”.