Bills
1,098 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Finance Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Raises Universal Social Charge 2% threshold from €21,295 to €22,920 for 2023; extends reduced USC rate for medical card holders under 70 earning up to €60,000 through 2023.
- Increases income tax standard rate band by €3,200 to €40,000 for single persons and raises multiple tax credits (personal, home carer, employee, earned income) from 1 January 2023.
- Introduces pan-European Personal Pension Product (PEPP) with tax relief on contributions, tax-free growth, and taxed withdrawals; extends Help to Buy relief two years to end-2024; establishes rental payment tax credit up to €500 per person through 2025.
Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes payment scheme for former residents of Mother and Baby institutions; makes lump-sum payments based on length of stay and provides free health services via enhanced medical card.
- Creates independent Chief Deciding Officer office within Department of Children to examine applications, determine eligibility, process reviews and appeals, and conduct public awareness campaign.
- Scheme closes no later than five years after establishment; applicants may request review within 60 days of determination; excludes those who previously received awards from Residential Institutions Redress Scheme for same institution.
Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Employees get five days' leave for medical care of relatives or household members needing significant care, without prior notice required.
- Employees can request flexible working arrangements for caring purposes; employers must respond within timeframe with limited grounds for refusal.
- Maternity protection extended to two years for breastfeeding breaks and to transgender males with gender recognition certificates who become pregnant.
Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme II to pay €183.49 three times (Nov/Dec 2022, Jan/Feb 2023, Mar/Apr 2023) to domestic electricity accounts, funded up to €1.211 billion.
- Exempts emergency benefit payments from income tax and amends Electricity Regulation Act 1999 to clarify market participants can enter connection and electricity supply agreements.
- Reduces National Oil Reserves Agency levy from €0.02 to €0.001 per litre of oil for a limited period.
Employment Permits Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Replaces 2003 and 2006 Employment Permits Acts. Creates ten types of permits including new Seasonal Employment Permit for recurring seasonal roles.
- Requires foreign nationals to hold employment permit to work in Ireland; employers must ensure compliance or face penalties; subcontractors must verify permits are in place.
- Introduces Labour Market Needs Test requiring roles be advertised on EURES and online platforms before hiring non-EEA workers; maintains 50:50 rule requiring half workforce be EEA/UK/Swiss nationals.
National Tourism Development Authority (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Increases the maximum capital funding Fáilte Ireland can receive from the Oireachtas from €300 million to €500 million for tourism development projects.
- Allows the Tourism Minister, with Public Expenditure Minister consent, to advance additional capital funds to support tourist facilities and services within this higher limit.
- No direct budgetary impact; actual annual allocations remain determined through annual budget process with no staffing implications.
Water Environment (Abstractions and Associated Impoundments) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes modern registration and licensing system for water abstractions administered by EPA, replacing outdated 1942-1964 legislation; registration required above minimum threshold, licensing above higher threshold.
- Grants Irish Water emergency powers to abstract water during drought or other crises; provides compensation for material adverse effects on third-party water rights from public abstractions.
- Repeals Water Supplies Act 1942 and related provisions; requires Environmental Impact Assessments for certain abstractions; allows Irish Water to abstract from ESB reservoirs with agreement.
Communications Regulation and Digital Hub Development Agency (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes security obligations for electronic communications providers to take appropriate risk management measures; allows Minister to set security guidelines and ComReg to enforce compliance.
- Creates consumer protections including minimum quality-of-service standards, customer charters, compensation schemes, and dispute resolution procedures through ComReg.
- Introduces administrative sanctions regime for regulatory breaches, including settlement and commitment procedures, with High Court appeals available.
Regulation of Lobbying and Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Extends lobbying regulation to informal business groups with no employees and non-remunerated office holders making communications on behalf of regulated organizations.
- Introduces administrative sanctions system (fines up to €25,000 and/or 2-year lobbying ban) for breaches of post-employment restrictions and anti-avoidance obligations, enforceable by Circuit Court.
- Strengthens post-term employment restrictions by requiring former public officials to obtain Commission consent before taking lobbying roles within 12 months of leaving office, with mandatory compliance to attached conditions.
Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Allows dormant court funds from Circuit and District Courts to be encashed every 5 years and used for court building maintenance and ICT facilities.
- Extends voluntary return option timeframe for international protection applicants from 5 to 30 days, and increases International Protection Appeals Tribunal member terms from 3 to 5 years.
- Streamlines bankruptcy processes by removing court leave requirement for property disclaimers and allowing Official Assignee to pre-check financial statements before court filing.
Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Increases maximum penalty for conspiracy to murder from 10 years to life imprisonment; clarifies that section 71 of Criminal Justice Act 2006 does not apply to this offence.
- Creates new criminal offences for non-fatal strangulation and suffocation; amends harassment offence and introduces standalone stalking offence with lower threshold for proof.
- Establishes civil court orders to protect people from harassment and stalking conduct; breach of order is criminal offence punishable by fine or up to 12 months imprisonment.
Tailte Éireann Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes Tailte Éireann by merging the Valuation Office, Property Registration Authority, and Ordnance Survey Ireland into a single body to manage property and spatial data.
- Dissolves Property Registration Authority and Ordnance Survey Ireland, transferring their functions and assets to Tailte Éireann on establishment day.
- Transfers functions of Commissioner of Valuation and Boundary Surveyor to Tailte Éireann; all staff, land, property, rights and liabilities vest automatically in the new body.
Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Allows UK medical degree holders to access Irish medical intern training posts by recognizing UK qualifications as meeting intern requirements, subject to Medical Council criteria.
- Requires social care workers applying to CORU to meet the same safe entry standards as other regulated professions under the Act.
- Grants Minister power to prescribe and update qualifications in Schedule 3 by Order, and amends Medical Council complaints investigation processes and immunity provisions.
Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Irish Water renamed to Uisce Éireann and separated from Ervia as standalone national water authority with new Board and CEO.
- Uisce Éireann becomes directly accountable to Dáil committee and subject to Comptroller and Auditor General audit, replacing previous Ervia oversight.
- Staff, contracts, rights, liabilities and records transferred from Ervia to Uisce Éireann; €5m one-off separation costs incurred.
Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes legal framework for Garda use of recording devices including body-worn cameras, CCTV, ANPR, and telephone call recording to investigate crime and protect public safety.
- Repeals section 38 of Garda Síochána Act 2005; requires Commissioner authorisation for CCTV schemes and allows data-sharing with designated bodies operating ANPR networks.
- Permits access to third-party CCTV live feeds via District Court authorisation or 72-hour internal approval; mandates codes of practice covering data protection and human rights safeguards.
Screening of Third Country Transactions Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Allows Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to review and screen foreign investments in designated sectors valued at €2M+ where control changes hands, to assess security and public order risks.
- Empowers Minister to prohibit transactions, impose conditions, or allow them to proceed; parties must notify 10 days before completion; failure to notify or provide false information is an offence.
- Establishes independent adjudicators panel to hear appeals against Minister's screening decisions within 30 days; adjudicator can remit to Minister for reconsideration or affirm the decision.
Personal Injuries Resolution Board Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Board renamed to Personal Injuries Resolution Board and gains new power to offer mediation alongside assessment to resolve personal injury claims.
- Board can now retain claims up to 2 additional years beyond 9 months where long-term prognosis unavailable; statute of limitations pauses during this extended period.
- Claimants rejecting Board assessments and pursuing litigation cannot recover costs if assessment value exceeds court award; providing false information to Board becomes an offence.
National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Transfers National Symphony Orchestra and three RTÉ choirs (Philharmonic, Cór na nÓg, Cór Linn) to National Concert Hall, including staff, property, rights and liabilities.
- Extends National Concert Hall's functions to operate and maintain an orchestra and choirs; increases Board from 8 to 9 members with orchestral expertise requirement.
- Amends Broadcasting Act 2009 to remove RTÉ's orchestra and choir management functions, replacing with limited concert orchestra management role.
Central Bank (Individual Accountability Framework) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Introduces 'duty of responsibility' requiring senior executives to take reasonable steps preventing firm breaches in their areas; removes requirement to prove firm wrongdoing first.
- Establishes conduct standards for all controlled function staff and additional standards for senior roles; extends Fitness and Probity regime to financial holding companies.
- Requires firms to document senior executive responsibilities in statements and management maps; strengthens Central Bank enforcement powers and appeals processes.
Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Requires service providers to retain user data for 12 months and internet source data for 1 year; allows Minister to vary these periods between minimum and 2 years based on necessity.
- Establishes judicial approval requirement for general retention of traffic/location data (Schedule 2 data) based on Minister's security assessment; creates preservation and production orders for accessing specific data in individual cases.
- Creates disclosure regimes allowing An Garda Síochána and Defence Forces access to retained data for national security; enables urgent disclosure with post-approval by judge within set timeframe.
Rent Reduction Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 First Stage Defeated Gino Kenny
- Amends Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to cap rents at maximum quarter of median household income (local or national, whichever lower), applying to new tenancies immediately and existing tenancies within 12 months.
- Establishes National Rent Authority to determine median incomes by household size, set maximum household sizes per accommodation category, and designate luxury accommodation (capped at 5% of rental stock per area).
- Luxury accommodation is excluded from rent caps. Authority composed of tenant and employee representatives. Bill enters force within 90 days of Presidential promulgation.
Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Provides €400 monthly payment to people hosting temporary protection beneficiaries from Ukraine; payment exempt from means-testing and income tax.
- Expands childcare support eligibility to families with temporary protection status; enables online and multi-location non-national registration without registration districts.
- Recognizes driving licenses of temporary protection beneficiaries via Minister order; establishes jury procedures for Stardust nightclub inquests with employer wage obligations.
Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- School patrons and boards must cooperate with the National Council for Special Education, provide and operate special classes when requested, and comply with ministerial directions on special education provision.
- Minister can issue binding directions requiring schools to make additional provision for children with special needs after NCSE reports insufficient capacity and gives schools opportunity to make representations.
- Removes school appeals against NCSE/Tusla decisions to designate school places for children with special needs; schools must comply with placement directions after making representations.
Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Exempts children under 16 years old from the €80 daily charge (max €800/year) for acute in-patient services in public hospitals.
- Exempts persons using private acute in-patient services under Section 55 of the Health Act 1970 from public hospital charges.
- Amends Section 53C of the Health Act 1970 to add two new exemption categories to existing acute in-patient service charges.