Bills
1,078 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
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.
Health (Parliamentary Oversight of Certain Instruments Relating to Covid-19) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Pa Daly
- Amends Health Act 1947 to require both Houses of Oireachtas to pass resolutions confirming Covid-19 regulations and orders within 14 sitting days or 21 calendar days, or they are automatically annulled.
- Allows either House to annul Covid-19 regulations and orders by resolution before confirmation deadline expires, without affecting actions already taken under them.
- Excludes Covid-19 instruments from existing Health Act section 5 procedures, replacing them with new parliamentary oversight framework requiring affirmative confirmation instead of negative annulment.
Oireachtas Members (Economic Justice) (Covid-19) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Peadar Tóibín
- Reduces TDs' and Senators' salaries by 25% while Covid-19 restrictions specified in Government's Plan for Living with Covid-19 remain in force.
- Applies only to salaries; does not affect allowances paid to Oireachtas members.
- Reduction applies when restrictions are in effect across the State or a large proportion of it.
Children (Amendment) Bill 2021
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Jim O'Callaghan
- Removes ban on naming accused persons in cases where child victim is deceased, allowing media to identify them.
- Allows adult survivors of childhood offences to voluntarily waive their anonymity protections under Children Act 2001.
- Clarifies section 252 of Children Act 2001 was never intended to prevent identification of deceased child victims.
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.
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.
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.
Organisation of Working Time (Amendment) (Carryover of Annual Leave) (Covid-19) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Louise O'Reilly
- Amends Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 to allow employees to carry over untaken annual leave where Covid-19 made it impracticable to take leave.
- Carried-over leave can be taken in the two leave years immediately following the year in which it was due.
- If employment ends with outstanding carried-over leave, employer must pay compensation equal to wages the employee would have earned taking that leave.
Social Welfare Commission Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Claire Kerrane
- Establishes a nine-member Commission appointed by the Minister to examine minimum income needs of social welfare recipients and develop a minimum essential standard of living.
- Commission monitors social welfare rates annually, provides reports, and may recommend changes to any Department of Social Protection payment rates to the Minister.
- Commission may recommend that Government Departments conduct poverty impact assessments of specific measures where it considers necessary.
Wind Turbine Regulation Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Brian Stanley
- Restricts export of electricity generated by wind turbines and requires public consultation on new wind turbine developments.
- Sets minimum setback distances from dwellings to protect against noise and shadow flicker; assigns planning authority duties.
- Places financial and decommissioning obligations on turbine owners; enables community ownership models for wind turbines.
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.
Organisation of Working Time (Amendment) (Right to Disconnect) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Louise O'Reilly
- Amends the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 to create a legal right for employees to disconnect from work emails, texts, and calls outside working hours.
- Requires employers to establish a right-to-disconnect policy in consultation with employees and trade unions, setting specific hours when work contact is not expected.
- Allows employees to voluntarily waive their right to disconnect only with explicit consent, aiming to reduce work-related stress from 'always on' culture.
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.
Residential Tenancies (Extension of Eviction Ban) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Paul Murphy
- Extends ban on evictions and rent increases for six months from enactment, with government power to extend the period further if in public interest.
- Prevents landlords serving termination notices during emergency period; revises termination dates already set within that period to after it ends.
- Repeals provisions of Residential Tenancies and Valuation Act 2020 and guarantees tenants' right to remain in dwellings until emergency period expires.
Latent Defects Redress Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Eoin Ó Broin
- Creates independent Latent Defects Redress Board to provide information, mediation, and adjudication for homeowners with non-compliant homes.
- Board will assess homes for latent defects including fire safety and structural issues, and review penalties for developer/builder breaches.
- Minister appoints establishment day and determines Board's powers to help owners address building regulation non-compliance.
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.
Thirty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Right to a Home) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 First Stage Lapsed Eoin Ó Broin
- Proposed constitutional amendment to establish a legal right to adequate housing for all Irish residents.
- Would require the state to work toward providing homes and preventing homelessness through legislation and policy.
- Bill did not progress beyond First Stage; lapsed without becoming law.
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.
Sick Leave and Parental Leave (Covid-19) Bill 2020
14 Nov 2024 Second Stage Lapsed Alan Kelly
- Creates legal right to paid sick leave for employees after 4 weeks employment, capped at 6 continuous weeks or 30 days per 12 months, paid at normal weekly rate.
- Expands force majeure leave under Parental Leave Act 1998 to cover parents whose children cannot attend school/pre-school due to Covid-19 Government measures.
- Makes sick leave entitlements non-waivable except by collective or registered employment agreements; disputes resolved through workplace relations procedures.