§ Lord Lairdasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the statement in Waterways Ireland's annual report for 1999–2000 that it was set up by legislation in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom on 2 December 1999 is correct. [HL557]
§ Lord Williams of MostynWaterways Ireland and the other five implementation bodies were in fact established by an agreement made on 8 March 1999 between the British and Irish Governments. The 239WA provisions of that agreement were incorporated into the domestic law of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland by the legislation referred in the Waterways Ireland annual report for 1999–2000. The agreement and the legislation came into force on 2 December 1999.