Bills
359 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Education (Digital Devices in Schools) Bill 2018
20 Apr 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Gerard P. Craughwell
- Minister issues standardised code prohibiting student possession of digital devices during school hours, with boards of management implementing it alongside school-specific safeguards.
- Primary students hand devices in at start of day and retrieve them at end; post-primary students must conceal and switch off devices on premises.
- Three-strike confiscation system: first breach confiscates device for school day; second for school week; third for school term, with parent retrieval required.
Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016
20 Apr 2020 Second Stage Lapsed
- Adoption Authority collects and maintains adoption records from various sources; Child and Family Agency provides tracing service to locate adopted persons, birth parents, and relatives.
- Adopted persons aged 18+ can access birth certificate info, medical history, and birth parent details; birth parents can access info about adopted person with consent.
- Register of Adoption Contact Enquiries records contact preferences of adopted persons, birth parents, relatives; Agency facilitates contact between parties based on stated preferences.
Pensions (Equal Pension Treatment in Occupational Benefit Scheme) (Amendment) Bill 2016
20 Apr 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Kevin Humphreys
- Amends Pensions Act 1990 to allow survivor's pension benefits for same-sex civil partners who married/partnered after age cutoff, if legal marriage/partnership was impossible before that age.
- Removes age-of-marriage requirement as barrier to pension benefits where same-sex couples were unable to marry or enter civil partnership due to prior law.
- Applies to employees who entered foreign civil partnerships later recognised in Ireland, or married/partnered within 36 months of legal eligibility.
Critical Health Professionals Bill 2017
20 Apr 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Mark Daly
- Allows health professionals in publicly-funded health organisations to voluntarily defer mandatory retirement age, if both employee and employer agree in writing.
- Extension periods proposed as up to two years initially, renewable once for another two years, with both parties' ongoing consent required throughout.
- Excludes those who previously took early or voluntary retirement; preserves employees' existing conditions of employment except the mandatory retirement clause.
Property Services (Advertisement of Unfit Lettings) (Amendment) Bill 2019
20 Apr 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Fintan Warfield
- Amends 2011 Property Services law to allow removal of ads for rental properties that don't meet fitness standards.
- Gives authorities power to take down advertisements of unfit lettings; details of enforcement mechanism not specified in title.
- Bill lapsed during parliamentary process; not enacted into law.
Civil Liability (Capping of General Damages) Bill 2019
20 Apr 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Neale Richmond
- Sets a maximum limit on compensation awards for general damages in personal injury claims.
- Regulations establishing the cap amount require approval from both Houses of Parliament.
- Requires periodic review of the Act's operation and effects on injured claimants.
Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2019
20 Apr 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Máire Devine
- Amends 2015 Assisted Decision-Making Act to clarify how it applies to people treated under mental health and insanity laws.
- Aims to strengthen mental health service provision and protect rights of patients detained under Mental Health Act 2001.
- Bill lapsed during legislative process; specific amendments and practical changes not detailed in available information.
Short-term Lettings Bill 2018
20 Apr 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Kevin Humphreys
- Classifies short-term dwelling rentals as commercial use, changing their legal status and planning implications.
- Requires property service providers handling short-term lettings to register under Property Services Regulation Act 2011.
- Mandates short-term letting service providers give planning authorities information on request about their operations.
Local Government Accountability Bill 2018
20 Apr 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Gerard P. Craughwell
- Minister can publish guidelines requiring local authority staff to respond fully to councillor queries within 14 days, with acknowledgement within 7 working days.
- Creates binding obligation on local authority staff to reply to councillor representations made on behalf of constituents or community groups.
- Minister can publish quarterly league tables comparing local authority response times to encourage consistency and competition across councils.
Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2014
19 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Mick Wallace
- Strengthens Ombudsman Commission independence by widening complaint admissibility criteria (time limits, breach of new Code of Service), requiring mandatory supervision of all investigations, and removing serving Gardaí from its staff.
- Establishes Garda Síochána Independent Board with 16 members to oversee policing, human rights-proof policies, conduct five-yearly reviews, and appoint/remove Garda Commissioners—reducing ministerial control.
- Removes Commissioner's direct accountability to Minister, eliminates ministerial directives to Commissioner, and transfers control of policing plans and strategic decisions from Minister to the Board.
Coroners Bill 2015
19 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Clare Daly
- Creates new Coroner Service to replace existing coroner system and updates laws governing coroner investigations and inquests.
- Allows ongoing inquests from 1962 Act to continue; transfers old coroner records to new Service; repeals outdated provisions.
- Bill lapsed at Second Stage; status unclear whether provisions were enacted separately or remain unreformed.
Ramming of Garda Vehicles Bill 2015
19 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Brendan Griffin
- Creates a criminal offence for deliberately ramming a Garda vehicle with prison sentences as punishment.
- Aims to deter attacks on police vehicles and officers during law enforcement operations.
- Bill did not complete parliamentary process and lapsed without becoming law.
Education (Amendment) Bill 2015
19 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Jim Daly
- Creates Education Ombudsman to handle appeals against school and teacher decisions.
- Allows parents/students to lodge complaints about schools and teacher conduct with ombudsman.
- Amends Education Act 1998 to establish formal investigation and reporting processes.
Public Sector Standards Bill 2015
19 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed
- Creates Public Sector Standards Commissioner to oversee complaints, investigations, and enforcement of conduct standards for public officials across local and national government.
- Requires public officials to disclose conflicts of interest, ban use of insider information for private gain, and prohibit accepting gifts over €600 or benefits tied to their office.
- Establishes investigation powers, oral hearing procedures, and sanctions including censure, suspension, disqualification, and fines up to €100,000 or imprisonment for contraventions.
Flood Insurance Bill 2016
19 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Michael McGrath
- Aims to ensure fair competition and pricing in the property insurance market, including flood insurance coverage.
- Specific provisions and enforcement mechanisms not detailed in available bill title; further legislative text needed.
- Bill lapsed before completion; did not progress into law. Sponsor: Michael McGrath.
Central Bank (Variable Rate Mortgages) Bill 2016
19 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Michael McGrath
- Aimed to fix problems in how banks set variable-rate mortgage interest rates for homes.
- Would have given the Central Bank power to regulate mortgage rate practices.
- Bill did not proceed beyond Second Stage and lapsed without becoming law.
Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2016
19 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Jim O'Callaghan
- Establishes independent Judicial Appointments Commission to recommend candidates for judicial office based solely on merit, replacing the current Judicial Appointments Advisory Board.
- Commission must rank and recommend three candidates per vacancy; government must publish reasoned explanation if it nominates someone not recommended by Commission.
- Raises barristers' and solicitors' required standing for Superior Court appointment from 12 to 15 years; extends District Court judges' retirement age from 65 to 70.
Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed John Curran
- Criminalises purchasing controlled drugs from a child, regardless of quantity involved.
- Criminalises causing a child to possess controlled drugs for sale or supply.
- Hybrid offences: District Court penalties up to €3,000 and/or 12 months; Circuit Court up to 10 years and/or fine.
Planning and Development (Amendment) (First-Time Buyers) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Darragh O'Brien
- Amends Planning and Development Act 2000 to let local authorities set aside up to 30% of residential zoned land exclusively for first-time home buyers.
- Requires local authorities to separately assess build-to-rent housing needs in their housing strategies, distinct from other residential requirements.
- Allows local authorities to exempt build-to-rent developments from standard requirements if they meet housing strategy rental targets.
Firearms and Offensive Weapons (Amendment) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Jim O'Callaghan
- Increases maximum prison sentence for illegally carrying knives in public from 5 to 10 years under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990.
- Applies to knives intended to cause injury, incapacitate or intimidate persons, or flick knives carried without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.
- Aims to deter knife carrying following increased seizures and recent stabbings, including fatal incidents involving young people.
Civil Liability and Courts (Amendment) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Michael McGrath
- Requires plaintiffs to pay defendant's legal costs when their fraudulent case is dismissed under Section 26, unless court finds this unjust.
- Increases maximum fine District Court can impose for civil liability offences from €3,000 to €5,000 (class A fine).
- Amends Criminal Justice Act 1951 to align maximum fine limits with increased District Court penalties.
Road Traffic (All Terrain Vehicle and Scrambler Motor-cycle) (Amendment) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed John Lahart
- Allows gardaí to seize ATVs and scramblers without number plates based on suspicion or photographic evidence.
- Increases penalty for supplying these vehicles to minors from €3,000 fine to €5,000 or confiscation, plus possible 6-month imprisonment.
- Creates new offence of dangerous riding of ATVs or scramblers in public places with confiscation as penalty; permits seizure from driveways.
Retention of Records Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed
- Records from three child abuse redress bodies transfer to National Archives; sealed and inaccessible for minimum 75 years from transfer date.
- After 75-year sealing period, Minister may make regulations permitting access, with regard for survivors' well-being; requires parliamentary approval.
- Amends three Acts to enable retention instead of disposal; exempts transferred records from Freedom of Information Act 2014.
Treatment of Cancer (Advertisements) Bill 2018
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Kate O'Connell
- Bans advertisements offering cancer treatments or remedies, or suggesting medical consultation is unnecessary, across all media including internet and social media.
- Makes publishing prohibited cancer treatment ads a criminal offense prosecuted by Health Products Regulatory Authority, with court-imposed fines and/or imprisonment.
- Requires Authority to review the Act's operation within 18 months and report findings to Parliament within 12 months of review completion.