Bills
327 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Court Funds Administration Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed John McGuinness
- Gives the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General power to audit and scrutinise the Fund of Wards of Court, which the Courts Service manages.
- Extends similar audit oversight to funds held for persons under decision-making representatives under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015.
- Amends the Trustee (Authorised Investments) Act 1958 to include other court-ordered funds under the bill's audit provisions.
Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Separation of Church and State) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Ruth Coppinger
- Proposed constitutional amendment to separate church and state in Ireland's governance structures.
- Bill lapsed without progressing beyond First Stage; no further legislative action occurred.
- Specific amendment text or practical effects not detailed in available information.
Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Catherine Murphy
- Removes the criminal offence of blasphemy from the 2009 Defamation Act, decriminalising insulting religious beliefs.
- Bill lapsed without progressing; did not become law. Status unclear on whether reintroduced in subsequent sessions.
- Sponsored by Catherine Murphy; practical effect would eliminate blasphemy as punishable crime if passed.
Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Blasphemy) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Catherine Murphy
- Proposes to remove the constitutional offence of blasphemy, which currently prohibits insulting religion.
- Would delete Article 40.6.1(i) from the Constitution that defines and protects against blasphemous utterances.
- Required public referendum to pass; bill lapsed without progressing beyond initial parliamentary stage.
Small Unmanned Aircraft (Drones) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed James Lawless
- Creates a regulatory framework for small unmanned aircraft (drones) to manage their safe operation and related activities.
- Bill was introduced at First Stage but lapsed without progressing further through the legislative process.
- Specific rules, licensing requirements, and enforcement mechanisms are not detailed in available title information.
Education (Inspection of Individual Education Plans for Children with Special Needs) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Carol Nolan
- Amends Education Act 1998 to expand school inspectorate powers to examine and report on individual education plans for children with special needs annually.
- Inspectorate must assess prevalence and standard of these plans, then report findings to the Minister each year.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage—never progressed through parliament, so changes never became law.
Planning and Development (Rapid Broadband) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed James Lawless
- Speeds up broadband infrastructure installation by allowing planning permission to require ducting (underground conduits) in new building developments for future telecom cables.
- Lets state agencies share their infrastructure with telecom and broadband providers to reduce duplication and costs of installing new networks nationally.
- Creates a public register of all telecoms infrastructure and its owners to help plan future broadband and telecom services more efficiently.
Education (Regulation of Voluntary Contributions in Schools) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Carol Nolan
- Minister must make regulations requiring schools to clearly state that voluntary contributions are not obligatory (except fee-paying schools) and prohibit differential treatment of students based on parents' contribution choices.
- Schools limited to contacting parents once yearly for voluntary contributions; prohibited from seeking contributions when public funding suffices for daily operating costs.
- Schools must publish annual financial statements showing receipt and use of voluntary contributions, accessible to parents, without identifying individual contributors.
Rent Transparency Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Noel Rock
- Landlords must provide renters with key information and agree to share it with the Residential Tenancies Board.
- Amends 2004 Residential Tenancies Act to make publishing rental property details a legal requirement.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage; never became law. Aimed to increase transparency in rental market.
Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Protection of Pension Property Rights) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Willie O'Dea
- Proposes constitutional amendment to protect pension property rights from legislative changes.
- Bill lapsed before progressing beyond First Stage; status unclear on specific pension protections intended.
- Sponsored by Willie O'Dea; detailed scope and practical effect not available from provided information.
Industrial Relations (Defence Forces) (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Ruth Coppinger
- Allows Defence Forces members to access Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court for workplace disputes.
- Removes restrictions preventing Defence Forces members from joining trade unions or their representative associations from affiliating with unions.
- Amends Industrial Relations Act 1990 and Defence (Amendment) Act 1990 to include Defence Forces in worker protections.
Valuation (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Barry Cowen
- Amends Valuation Act 2001 to cap how much commercial rates can change per assessment period.
- Spreads rate variation increases over multiple years rather than applying full change immediately.
- Bill lapsed without passing; provides certainty to business ratepayers on property tax liability.
Criminal Justice (Commission of Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Kevin Boxer Moran
- Amends Criminal Justice Act 2007 to add sexual offences to Schedule 2, triggering mandatory minimum sentences of three-quarters maximum sentence for repeat offenders convicted within 7 years of prior release.
- Repeat sex offenders must serve at least 10 years minimum where the offence carries life imprisonment; courts may only avoid this if satisfied it would be disproportionate.
- Applies to offenders previously imprisoned for sexual offences who commit further sexual or serious offences after release, addressing persistent public danger from serial offenders.
Foal Levy Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Clare Daly
- Amends 1994 and 1999 horseracing Acts to change how foal levy fees are charged on horse breeding.
- Creates a new Levy Committee to oversee foal levy administration and decision-making.
- Bill did not progress beyond introduction; status lapsed without becoming law.
Urban Regeneration and Housing (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Catherine Murphy
- Removes minimum 0.05 hectare threshold so vacant site levy applies to smaller sites that could accommodate housing under development standards.
- Increases vacant site levy by 1% annually for each full year site remains vacant, replacing fixed 3% rate.
- Eliminates exemptions and reduced levy rates for sites with outstanding loans; requires zoning and area details published on Vacant Site Register.
Equal Status (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Catherine Murphy
- Amends Equal Status Act 2000 to ban publicly funded schools from discriminating against children in admission based on religious beliefs.
- Changes section 7(3) of the Equal Status Act to strengthen protections for students of all faiths or none in school admissions.
- Bill did not progress beyond First Stage and lapsed. Information on specific exemptions or implementation details is unavailable.
Education (Guidance Counselling Provision) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Carol Nolan
- Minister must publish annual education impact study on effects of providing guidance counselling within standard staffing schedule rather than separately.
- Study must name schools reducing guidance counselling provision due to this arrangement, with focus on DEIS-designated schools and student wellbeing impact.
- Bill applies only while the staffing arrangement continues; obligation ends if the Minister changes the guidance counselling provision method.
Public Transport Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Brendan Ryan
- Amends Public Transport Regulation Act 2009 to require bus service licence applicants to engage in collective bargaining with workers or join employer association subject to Labour Court examination.
- National Transport Authority can attach licence conditions enforcing compliance with new collective bargaining or association membership requirement to ensure reliable public transport service.
- Aims to prevent wage undercutting and poor working conditions in bus sector by binding licence holders to normal industrial relations practice.
Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Eugene Murphy
- Amends Local Government Act 1991 to require voter approval before changing a community's county status.
- Gives electorate explicit consent power over county boundary or administrative status changes affecting their area.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage; did not progress through parliament.
Welfare of Greyhounds (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Thomas P. Broughan
- Makes it an offence to export greyhounds to countries not on a Minister-published white list of jurisdictions meeting adequate welfare standards.
- White list created annually by International Greyhound Forum and Bord na gCon, subject to public consultation, then approved by Minister via regulation.
- Minister may grant export licences for whitelisted countries; applicants cannot make false statements and may appeal licence refusals.
Education (Disadvantage Committee) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Carol Nolan
- Establishes Educational Disadvantage Committee to advise Minister on policies and strategies to identify and correct educational disadvantage.
- Committee members appointed for maximum three years; half must be nominees from voluntary and relevant bodies.
- Committee submits proposals to Minister on educational disadvantage policies and priorities, considering available resources and efficiency.
Prohibition of Wild Animals in Circuses Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Ruth Coppinger
- Amends Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to ban wild animals in circuses.
- Prohibits use of wild animals in circus performances and related activities.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage; did not progress to debate or enactment.
Electoral (Extension of Voting Rights to Non-Irish Citizens) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Ruth Coppinger
- Allows all adults living in Ireland to vote in Dáil and European Parliament elections, regardless of citizenship.
- Changes voting eligibility from Irish/EU citizens only to any adult ordinary resident, expanding the electorate.
- Bill was introduced but did not progress beyond First Stage and has since lapsed without becoming law.
National Food Ombudsman Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Charlie McConalogue
- Creates National Food Ombudsman office within Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to handle grocery trade disputes.
- Ombudsman mediates and investigates disputes between grocery retailers/wholesalers and their suppliers of food products.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage; no related matters detail provided in available text.