Companies Accounting Bill
Deputy O'Rourke pressed for the Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016 to be enacted without further delay after Seanad passage. Deputy Donohoe said he could not guarantee timing but expected speedy enactment once the Seanad had completed its work.
I wish to know the reason for the very long delay in the passage of the Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016. The Bill has passed all Stages in the Dáil and has been referred to the Seanad. The original target commencement date was December 2016 and a number of business people have contacted me about it. The relevant EU directive required transposition into law by July 2015. What is the reason for the delay? Will the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation guarantee the passage of the Bill with no further impediments? I also seek an indication of when the Bill will be enacted.
Comment on this
The Deputy is asking me for many guarantees I cannot actually give. The reason is that the Bill is now moving into the Seanad. Obviously, the enactment to which the Deputy is referring is dependent on the Bill passing successfully through the Seanad. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor, is very much aware of the importance of that Bill. I am sure that, upon its passage through the Seanad, it will be speedily enacted.