Bills
359 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Planning and Development (Amendment) (20 per cent Provision of Social and Affordable Housing) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Eoin Ó Broin
- Removes exemption allowing developers with pre-2026 planning permission to avoid providing 20% social and affordable housing.
- Amends Planning and Development Act 2000 by deleting sunset clause in section 96(3)(j) that permitted exemption from Part V requirements.
- Makes 20% social and affordable housing requirement mandatory for all developers regardless of when planning permission was secured.
Ban on Rent Increases Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Eoin Ó Broin
- Freezes all rent increases for three years; existing tenancies locked at enactment date rates.
- New tenancies priced using Residential Tenancies Board rent index for equivalent properties in local area.
- Rent freeze subject to annual review during the three-year prohibition period.
Social Welfare (Payment Order) (Amendment) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Claire Kerrane
- Extends Liable Relatives Unit powers to issue Determination Orders for Jobseekers Transitional Payment to one-parent families, allowing state to recover costs from liable relatives.
- Enables District Court applications for Payment Orders against liable relatives to recoup contributions toward Jobseekers Transitional Payment costs.
- Amends Social Welfare Act to include Jobseekers Transitional Payment in definitions of allowance and competent authority for enforcement purposes.
Dog Breeding Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Peadar Tóibín
- Requires local authorities to refuse dog breeding establishment registration when necessary to protect animal welfare; makes this decision mandatory rather than discretionary.
- Increases minimum fines to €5,000 for summary offences and €10,000 for indictment convictions; applies to dog breeding violations.
- Mandates local authorities appoint dedicated authorised persons to enforce dog breeding rules; removes automatic status of dog wardens as authorised persons.
Proceeds of Crime (Investment in Disadvantaged Communities) (Amendment) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Mark Ward
- Requires Minister for Finance to review disadvantaged communities affected by crime every 24 months to identify financial support needs.
- Directs Minister to reinvest Criminal Assets Bureau seizure proceeds into communities identified in reviews to alleviate crime impact.
- Prioritises identified areas when deciding how to use money generated under Proceeds of Crime Act 1996.
Hospital Parking Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Peadar Tóibín
- Entitles anyone attending out-patient services at public hospitals to three hours free parking, whether as driver or passenger.
- Allows suspension of free parking entitlement at specific hospital car parks if excessive occupancy is determined to be occurring.
- Does not prevent hospitals from independently offering free parking beyond these minimum entitlements.
Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Prohibition of Winter Disconnections) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Réada Cronin
- Amends Electricity Regulation Act 1999 to give Minister explicit power to direct utility regulator on policy matters.
- Introduces moratorium on disconnecting domestic customers from gas and electricity for non-payment during annual fuel allowance season.
- Allows Minister to extend disconnection moratorium to other periods deemed appropriate beyond the fuel allowance season.
Firearms and Offensive Weapons (Amendment) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Jim O'Callaghan
- Increases maximum prison sentence for possessing a knife in public under Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 Section 9, from current level (not specified in memo).
- Applies to knives carried to cause injury, incapacitate, or intimidate persons, including flick knives and adapted articles, when convicted on indictment.
- Aims to deter knife carrying following rise in seizures and stabbings of young persons in Ireland over preceding two years.
Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Denis Naughten
- Requires courts to order fraudulent claimants to pay defendant's legal costs unless doing so would cause injustice.
- Allows courts discretion to refer cases involving fraudulent evidence to Director of Public Prosecutions for criminal investigation.
- Increases maximum fine District Court can impose for Civil Liability Act offences from €3,000 to €5,000 (class A fine).
Adoption (Information) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Thomas Pringle
- Amends Adoption Act 2010 to give adopted adults unconditional access to their birth certificates without requiring consent or counselling.
- Allows the Registrar General to provide adopted persons with index entries connecting the Adopted Children Register to their original birth registration.
- Removes barriers to adopted persons tracing their birth identity by providing direct access to official records of their birth.
Residential Tenancies (Student Rents and Other Protections) (Covid-19) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Eoin Ó Broin
- Landlords must refund rent and charges to student tenants unable to occupy accommodation due to Covid-19 public health guidance or legislation compliance.
- Student tenants cannot be required to pay rent more than one month in advance and need give only 28 days' notice to end tenancy.
- Unpaid rent covered by refund entitlement is not considered arrears; disputes over refunds can be resolved through the Residential Tenancies Board.
Civil Registration (Right of Adoptees to Information) (Amendment) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Kathleen Funchion
- Allows adopted persons aged 18+ to request information needed to obtain their birth certificate from the state.
- Amends the Civil Registration Act 2004 to establish the right and process for adoptees to access birth records.
- Grants the Minister power to make regulations setting out how adoptees can apply for and receive birth information.
Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) (Amendment) (Pets) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Peadar Tóibín
- Adds mandatory minimum sentence for adults convicted of theft and related offences involving pets to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001.
- Defines 'pet' for purposes of the new sentencing provision in the amended Act.
- Bill lapsed; did not progress beyond Second Stage in Dáil Éireann.
Criminal Justice (Public Order) (Quadbikes and Scramblers) (Amendment) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Paul Donnelly
- Gardaí gain power to seize and detain quadbikes and scramblers used unlawfully in public places, including parks and green spaces.
- Creates offence of driving quadbike or scrambler in public place; penalties include fine, vehicle seizure, and/or up to 6 months imprisonment.
- Minister empowered to make regulations under the Act to implement these provisions.
Insurance (Restriction on Differential Pricing and Profiling) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Pearse Doherty
- Bans insurers from charging existing customers higher premiums than new customers for motor and home insurance based on loyalty or renewal likelihood.
- Requires insurers to use only risk-related pricing factors and disclose all rating factors applied to each customer's premium calculation.
- Gives Central Bank power to regulate compliance, issue codes of practice, and impose sanctions on non-compliant insurers; requires annual reports to parliament.
Statistics (Decade of Centenaries) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Aengus Ó Snodaigh
- Amends Statistics Act 1993 to give Ireland's first post-independence census special heritage status for public access.
- Releases census data for historical, genealogical, and research purposes as part of Decade of Centenaries commemorations.
- Bill lapsed during Second Stage; did not become law.
Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Remote Parliamentary Voting) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
- Amends Constitution to allow each House of Oireachtas to set rules permitting remote voting in specified emergency circumstances.
- Enables members unable to attend physically to vote during maternity, paternity, or temporary incapacity without being present.
- Provides flexibility for parliamentary operations during emergencies while maintaining specified and limited scope for remote voting.
Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Eoin Ó Broin
- Amends Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1992 to require landlords prove compliance with minimum and fire safety standards before renting a property.
- Landlords must obtain independent inspection certificates from qualified professionals and submit them to Residential Tenancies Board during tenancy registration.
- Minister sets certification fees and can phase rollout for existing rental properties over four years.
Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Mairéad Farrell
- Extends cooling-off period for public officials from one to two years after leaving office before engaging in lobbying activities.
- Requires designated public officials to cease communication with unregistered or sanctioned lobbyists; Commission can direct cessation and determine duration.
- Makes code of conduct compliance mandatory; Commission gains power to investigate breaches and publish annual reports to Oireachtas.
Organisation of Working Time (Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Louise O'Reilly
- Adds statutory paid leave entitlement for employees affected by domestic violence to the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997.
- Protects domestic violence leave from weekly working hour caps and extends unfair dismissal protections to employees taking such leave.
- Defines domestic violence, coercive control, and eligible persons; empowers Workplace Relations Commission to resolve disputes over entitlements.
Working from Home (Covid-19) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Seán Sherlock
- Gives employees a legal right to disconnect: employers cannot require staff to access work emails/messages between finishing and starting times; time spent on such communications counts as working time.
- Relaxes health and safety rules for temporary home workers during Covid-19: employers meet duties by providing adequate workstations and paying tax-free allowance (amount set by Revenue), instead of ensuring home conditions meet detailed regulations.
- Requires employers to include in written employment terms their policy on out-of-hours work-related electronic communications, extending existing information disclosure obligations.
Homeless Prevention Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Eoin Ó Broin
- Defines persons at risk of homelessness in law and authorizes Minister and local authorities to provide preventive supports.
- Requires local authorities to assess at-risk individuals/families at least 60 days before homelessness and create prevention plans.
- Obligates local authorities to provide information and advice services to those at risk of becoming homeless.
Mental Health Parity of Esteem Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Mark Ward
- Places duty on Health Minister to promote mental health parity of esteem with physical health across the health system.
- Requires all health organisations to meet parity obligations for mental health services and ensure efficient, timely access to treatment.
- Aims to address systemic neglect of mental health through policy, institutional and organisational changes at all governance levels.
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Amendment) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Louise O'Reilly
- Amends Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 to make Covid-19 cases in workplaces notifiable to the Health and Safety Authority.
- Enables proactive monitoring of Covid-19 outbreaks in workplaces to prevent cluster development and allow rapid investigation.
- Requires workplace notification of Covid-19 incidents to protect workers in high-risk settings like meat plants and health facilities.