Bills
1,078 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
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.
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.
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.
Remediation of Dwellings Damaged By the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes statutory grant scheme for homeowners with dwellings damaged by defective concrete blocks in Donegal, Mayo, Clare and Limerick; Housing Agency assesses damage and determines remediation options and grant amounts.
- Provides grants for remediation works, alternative accommodation, storage and immediate repairs; includes second grant opportunity for homes where retained blockwork later proves defective after initial non-demolition repairs.
- Creates independent Appeals Panel and Board for disputes; charges rented properties with grant amount (reducing 5% annually if property remains rented); revokes 2020 Regulations with transitional protections for existing applicants.
EirGrid, Electricity and Turf (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- EirGrid can acquire electricity generation plants and enter agreements with generators to operate them under CRU direction, ending by 31 March 2027 or earlier if the emergency resolves.
- EirGrid's borrowing limit increases to €3 billion; Minister can provide financial support for these emergency measures with consent of Public Expenditure Minister.
- Electricity Regulation Act 1999 amended to refund PSO (public service obligation) monies to consumers; Bord na Móna's borrowing limit increases to €650 million.
Garda Síochána (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Changes section 8 of Garda Síochána Act 2005 from "institute and conduct" to "institute or conduct" prosecutions in summary courts.
- Allows a different Garda member to conduct a prosecution initiated by another member, rather than requiring the same member.
- Applies retroactively to prosecutions instituted before or after the amendment comes into force.
Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Enables commencement of the 2015 Assisted Decision-Making Act to replace wardship with functional capacity assessment for people with capacity difficulties.
- Creates two-step enduring power of attorney system: created while person has capacity, registered with Decision Support Service, activated by notification when capacity lost.
- Strengthens safeguards by creating fraud/coercion offences, expanding ineligibility criteria for decision-makers, and giving Director powers to investigate complaints informally.
Consumer Rights Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Consolidates consumer rights for goods sales, digital content/services, and non-digital services. Implements EU directives on goods sales, digital contracts, and consumer protection enforcement.
- Requires traders to deliver goods conforming to contract; consumers can repair, replace, reduce price, or terminate within specified periods if goods lack conformity.
- Amends Consumer Protection Act 2007 to strengthen enforcement powers; amends Consumer Credit Act 1995 to cover hire-purchase and consumer-hire agreements.
Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Replaces ad hoc guardian ad litem system with regulated national service. New Part VA defines guardian roles, qualifications, functions, and appointment procedures for all child care proceedings.
- Guardians must ascertain child's views, advise court on best interests, furnish written reports with recommendations, and remain independent. Courts may grant party rights if necessary for child's interests.
- Minister appoints guardians, arranges legal support, pays costs, and may recover expenses from parties. Establishes authorization system with regulations setting professional standards and vetting requirements.
Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes Judicial Appointments Commission with 9 members (Chief Justice, Court Presidents, judges, Attorney General, lay members) to select and recommend candidates for judicial appointments based on merit.
- Commission must publish selection procedures and required knowledge/skills statements; recommendations shall consider gender balance, population diversity, and Irish language proficiency for State judgeships.
- Dissolves existing Judicial Appointments Advisory Board; creates Commission Office with Director; provides funding via Courts Service; restricts Freedom of Information access to selection records.
Planning and Development, Maritime and Valuation (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Removes the two-stage 'leave to apply' process for substitute consent applications, allowing single-stage applications directly to An Bord Pleanála for unauthorised developments requiring retrospective Environmental Impact Assessment or Appropriate Assessment.
- Extends simultaneous application rules to allow applicants to apply for future development permissions alongside substitute consent applications for all development types, not just quarries.
- Requires planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála to screen retention applications for Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment requirements, and refuse to consider applications where such assessments are required.
Insurance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Central Bank can now collect and publish data on insurance claim deductions related to State supports through the National Claims Information Database.
- Central Bank must report within 18 months on price-walking practices, automatic renewals, and insurer pricing oversight, with findings laid before Parliament.
- Insurers must disclose deductions from claim settlements to consumers; clarifies legal privilege rules post-claim and allows exclusions for certain criminal conduct.
Electoral Reform Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes an independent Electoral Commission to oversee Ireland's electoral system, manage the Register of Political Parties, review constituency and local electoral area boundaries, and regulate online political advertising.
- Modernises voter registration through continuous individual application, data sharing between authorities, pending lists for 16–17-year-olds, and provisions for persons with no fixed address and anonymous registration.
- Extends postal voting to include persons with mental health difficulties, enables pandemic-era elections, transfers referendum functions from Referendum Commissions to the new Commission, and enhances political party financial transparency.
Sick Leave Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Employees entitled to up to 3 statutory paid sick leave days per year when unwell, with Minister able to vary the number but never below 3 days.
- Employers must pay employees for sick leave at a rate set by Minister regulation; more favourable employer schemes satisfy the requirement instead.
- Labour Court may exempt employers unable to pay; employees protected from penalisation for taking sick leave; employers must keep records or face penalties.
Circular Economy and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes Circular Economy Fund to replace Environment Fund; Minister manages fund for circular economy activities and publishes strategy every 3 years with waste reduction and reuse targets.
- Imposes environmental levy (€0.20–€1.00 per item) on single-use cups, containers, packaging and plastic bags supplied at retail; Minister may prohibit supply of certain items if reusable alternatives are available.
- Authorizes local authorities to operate CCTV and mobile recording devices for waste enforcement; requires Chief Executive approval and 5-yearly review; regulates by code of practice approved by Minister and laid before Oireachtas.
Thirty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Neutrality) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 First Stage Defeated Bríd Smith
- Proposed constitutional amendment to modify Ireland's neutrality provisions in the Constitution.
- Bill did not progress beyond First Stage; was defeated and did not become law.
- Specific constitutional changes intended are not detailed in provided long title; full text needed for exact scope.
Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Allows Ireland to join IMF's New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB), enabling Central Bank to lend up to €2.3 billion to IMF during crises affecting global monetary system.
- Minister for Finance guarantees Central Bank repayment if IMF defaults on borrowed funds; covers from public funds via Central Fund.
- Increases PRGT grant contributions cap to €75 million; enables payments up to €50 million each to CCRT and other IMF trusts; sets overall limit of €325 million across all three.
European Arrest Warrant (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Amends European Arrest Warrant Act 2003 to align Irish law with EU Framework Decision requirements, responding to EU infringement proceedings initiated in 2020.
- Makes High Court endorsement of arrest warrants mandatory rather than discretionary when compliance confirmed; establishes tighter timelines for court decisions and surrender procedures.
- Introduces procedural protections: persons tried in absentia receive judgment copies; detention reviews required; specialty rule (limits re-prosecution) becomes mandatory; privilege grounds for non-execution added.
Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Creates new regulatory authority (AHRRA) to license and oversee all assisted human reproduction treatment providers and embryonic stem cell researchers operating in Ireland.
- Sets legal framework for domestic surrogacy: gestational only, non-commercial, requires genetic link to at least one parent, and must be approved by AHRRA in advance.
- Establishes persons born via assisted reproduction have rights to access information about their origins; sets storage limits (10 years) for gametes and embryos unless extended.
Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Minister for Finance gains power to set maximum interest rate caps on high-cost credit loans through regulations, subject to specified ceilings and Central Bank consultation.
- Licensing period extends from one to five years; providers no longer need separate District Court area registrations; online repayment books permitted.
- Home collection charges abolished; cash loans capped at 52-week term; terminology changed from 'moneylender' to 'high cost credit provider' throughout Act.
Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Extends Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to businesses meeting new eligibility criteria; allows previously-exited employers to re-enter with enhanced subsidy rates through May 2022.
- Exempts frontline healthcare workers from income tax, USC and PRSI on Pandemic Special Recognition Payments up to €1,000; expands Covid Restrictions Support Scheme eligibility and increases turnover threshold.
- Extends tax debt warehousing scheme (PAYE, income tax, VAT, PRSI) to 30 April 2022 for Covid-impacted businesses; waives excise duty on special exemption orders; repays stamp duty overpayments on cost rental dwellings.
Institutional Burials Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Government appoints a Director to excavate institutional burial sites and recover human remains buried in manifestly inappropriate circumstances, with oversight by an Advisory Board.
- Establishes an Identification Programme allowing eligible family members to participate in DNA identification of recovered remains, with Forensic Science Ireland managing a DNA database.
- Grants Director legal powers to access burial land, suspend conflicting exhumation licenses, and compel information from public bodies; amends Taxes and Planning Acts accordingly.
Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Bill 2022
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Expands who can report wrongdoing: now includes volunteers, shareholders, board members, and pre-employment recruitment contexts.
- Requires employers with 50+ staff and public bodies to set up formal reporting channels acknowledging reports within 7 days and providing feedback within 3 months.
- Creates Office of Protected Disclosures Commissioner (within Ombudsman) to receive reports and direct them to appropriate authorities or investigate directly as last resort.