DÁIL QUESTION addressed to the Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter by Deputy Seán Crowe

To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce or enact any new legislation in relation to bankruptcy and particularly for surviving spouses of bankruptees. – Seán Crowe

REPLY.
The Government commitment under the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland is to publish insolvency reform legislation by Quarter 1 of 2012. The legislative programme for my Department includes a Personal Insolvency Bill that will provide for a new framework for settlement and enforcement of debt and for personal insolvency. The Bill, proposals in respect of which are being developed in my Department, will take into account the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission in its Report on Personal Debt Management and Debt Enforcement of December 2010.

The Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, that is in the course of being drafted with a view to publication as soon as possible this year, will contain some interim measures in relation to reform of the law on bankruptcy.