Bills
1,078 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Garda Síochána (Functions and Operational Areas) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Replaces references to Garda districts with divisions throughout legislation and regulations, reflecting the abolition of district-level structure.
- Allows Garda Commissioner to designate specific stations for sex offender and criminal justice notifications instead of requiring district headquarters.
- Enables superintendents to delegate firearms licensing functions to inspectors under the Firearms Act 1925.
Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Establishes points system for fishing boat masters for serious Common Fisheries Policy breaches; accumulation triggers suspension then removal from register, prohibiting boat command.
- Creates Irish Fishing Master Register maintained by Minister; masters must register to legally command Irish or foreign fishing boats; registration can be refused for incomplete/false applications.
- Implements EU control regulations via independent Determination Panel and Appeals Officer; decisions appealable to High Court; unblocks €25 million EU co-funding suspended for Ireland's fisheries enforcement.
Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Replaces the Director of Corporate Enforcement with a new Corporate Enforcement Authority (a commission of 1–3 full-time members appointed by the Minister) that inherits all enforcement, investigation and prosecution functions under the Companies Act 2014.
- Transfers all staff, powers and liabilities of the Director's office to the Authority; existing Director becomes automatic Authority member on same terms; authority regulates own procedures and must act independently.
- Makes Authority accountable to Public Accounts Committee on financial regularity and to Oireachtas Committees on general administration, with High Court review available if Committee requests testimony on matters subject to court proceedings.
Finance (European Stability Mechanism and Single Resolution Fund) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Approves two international agreements amending the European Stability Mechanism Treaty and the Single Resolution Fund arrangement, ratifying reforms agreed by eurozone countries in November 2020.
- Enables Ireland to introduce the Common Backstop to the Single Resolution Fund in January 2022, two years ahead of schedule, and updates Ireland's ESM capital contribution following Slovakia's correction period end.
- Amends three existing Irish Acts to update definitions and extend their scope to cover the new amending agreements, with no significant additional exchequer costs.
Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Creates offences for intentionally assisting unlawful entry, transit or presence in Ireland or EU/Protocol states; penalties up to ten years imprisonment on indictment.
- Replaces 'gain exception' with affirmative defence requiring accused to prove conduct was humanitarian assistance or support for asylum seekers by recognised organisations.
- Grants enforcement officers power to stop, board, search and detain ships suspected of people smuggling; courts may order forfeiture of vessels used in offences.
Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Creates Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) to grant maritime area consents for long-term maritime activities and licences for short-term or minor uses in Irish waters.
- Establishes National Marine Planning Framework with Maritime Spatial Plans; local authorities decide nearshore cases (within 3 nautical miles), An Bord Pleanála handles offshore and cross-authority projects.
- Extends planning permission system to maritime area; makes Maritime Area Consent a gateway to planning permission; creates enforcement powers for MARA (offshore) and local authorities (nearshore).
Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Allows Irish courts to recognize and enforce criminal sentences imposed by EU member states without the sentenced person's consent in certain circumstances, such as when they are a national of the executing state.
- Permits Irish authorities to transfer sentenced persons to other EU states for enforcement when rehabilitation prospects improve, subject to consultation with the executing state and consent requirements.
- Establishes procedures for provisional arrest, court applications for recognition, and grounds for refusal to enforce foreign sentences, with a 90-day decision timeline for court recognition applications.
Child and Family Agency (Amendment) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Transfers governance of Child and Family Agency's education welfare functions from Minister for Children to Minister for Education, effective 2021.
- Minister for Education gains power to set spending limits, request information, nominate board member, and issue directions on education welfare functions.
- Funding for education welfare functions moves to Minister for Education; other Agency functions remain funded by Minister for Children with separate, non-interchangeable budgets.
Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Allows indoor venues (bars, restaurants, clubs) to operate by admitting only fully vaccinated or recovered persons, with EU Digital Covid Certificates as proof; operators must take reasonable steps to prevent unvaccinated access.
- Creates compliance inspections, enforcement powers including court orders to close non-compliant venues for up to 30 days, and criminal offences for forged documents or obstructing inspectors; operates until October 2021.
- Amends quarantine rules for international arrivals: allows early release from designated facilities after 10 days if a positive test shows no infection risk, and permits some arrivals to take post-arrival tests instead of mandatory quarantine.
Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Residential properties revalued 1 November 2021; establishes new valuation dates and 4-year valuation periods after 2025.
- Replaces LPT charging methodology with wider value bands and three tax rates; introduces fixed charges of €90 and €225 for lower bands.
- Raises income thresholds for LPT deferral from €15,000 to €18,000 (single) and €25,000 to €30,000 (couples); reduces deferral interest rate from 4% to 3%.
CervicalCheck Tribunal (Amendment) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Extends the CervicalCheck Tribunal deadline for submitting compensation claims from 26 July 2021 to 26 January 2022.
- Allows the Minister to extend the deadline further by order up to 26 July 2022.
- Amends the CervicalCheck Tribunal Act 2019 to create flexibility for claim submission periods.
Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Allows temporary sale of alcohol in outdoor seating areas linked to licensed premises during Covid-19, deeming them part of licensed premises and enabling enforcement of licensing obligations.
- Grants gardaí powers to direct compliance with licensing laws in outdoor areas, demand proof of authorisation, and issue fines up to €2,500 or six-month imprisonment for non-compliance.
- Increases maximum ordinary High Court judges from 37 to 42 and permits government to appoint additional judges beyond that maximum to address pandemic-related case backlog.
Companies (Rescue Process for Small and Micro Companies) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Creates a new rescue process for small and micro companies unable to pay debts, as an alternative to examinership that is faster and less costly.
- Appoints a process adviser to assess company viability, prepare a rescue plan, and call creditor/member meetings to approve it within 49 days.
- Allows rescue plans to bind creditors if approved by 60% in number of impaired creditors representing majority value, unless objection triggers court review within 21 days.
Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Adjudication officer proceedings now default to public hearings; officers can direct private proceedings only when circumstances warrant it, reversing prior blanket ban.
- Adjudication officers gain power to administer oaths/affirmations and can impose criminal penalties for wilful false evidence, addressing constitutional deficiency.
- Labour Court members declared statutorily independent; employers gain right to notice and hearing in enforcement proceedings; amendments applied across six employment law Acts.
Mental Health (Capacity to Consent to Treatment) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 First Stage Defeated Mark Ward
- Amends Mental Health Act 2001 to allow minors aged 16+ to legally consent to mental health treatment if they have mental capacity.
- Defines mental capacity as ability to understand information, retain it, weigh treatment options, and communicate a decision about their own care.
- Recognizes 16+ year-olds as capable decision-makers with ownership over their mental health treatment choices.
Consumer Protection (Regulation of Retail Credit and Credit Servicing Firms) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Extends Central Bank authorization requirements to firms providing hire-purchase, consumer-hire, and indirect credit, plus firms servicing these agreements.
- Caps interest rates on credit and hire-purchase agreements at 23 percent; courts may enforce non-compliant agreements only in limited circumstances.
- Requires annual percentage rate disclosure in hire-purchase agreements; enables Central Bank to collect and publish credit agreement statistics.
Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Extends Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to 31 December 2021 with enhanced rates until 30 September 2021, and modifies eligibility assessment rules from 1 July 2021.
- Creates Business Resumption Support Scheme: self-employed and companies with turnover down to 25% of pre-pandemic levels can claim up to €15,000 as advance trading expense credit.
- Imposes 10% stamp duty on acquisition of 10+ residential units (houses/duplexes, not apartments) within 12 months by single entity from 20 May 2021, versus standard 1-2% rate.
Residential Tenancies (No. 2) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Extends emergency protections from rent increases and evictions for Covid-19-affected tenants in arrears until 12 January 2022.
- Caps upfront payments (deposit plus advance rent) at 2 months' rent maximum, and limits regular advance rent to 1 month only.
- Requires students in student accommodation to give minimum 28 days' termination notice; allows them to opt out of upfront payment caps.
Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Planning authorities can extend existing development plans by up to one year while preparing new ones, subject to environmental and appropriate assessments, due to Covid-19 disruption.
- Planning authorities get up to one additional year to complete development plan reviews and preparation if they started the process before this Bill's passage.
- Planning permissions can be extended by up to two years or until end of 2023 where development cannot be completed within the original timeframe, if substantial works were carried out.
Planning and Development (Climate Emergency Measures) (Amendment) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 First Stage Defeated Bríd Smith
- Prohibits planning authorities from approving new fossil fuel infrastructure and high-energy data centres during climate emergency period (while Dáil declares emergency and global CO2 exceeds 350 ppm).
- Removes LNG terminals and other fossil fuel projects from strategic infrastructure list, preventing direct applications to An Bord Pleanála.
- Requires An Bord Pleanála to assess whether developments align with State's climate targets and commits, with EPA consultation option.
Regulation of Tenderers Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Second Stage Defeated Mairéad Farrell
- Requires contracting authorities to reject and disqualify abnormally low construction tender bids (15% below adjusted average) unless tenderers adequately explain their pricing to the authority.
- When abnormally low tenders are accepted, mandates notification to Chief Procurement Officer, enhanced contract management oversight, and regular reporting throughout contract duration.
- Permits contracting authorities to exclude economic operators from procurement procedures based on significant or persistent deficiencies in performance on prior public contracts.
Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Extends Covid-19 emergency powers in four Acts from June 10, 2021 to November 9, 2021, with possible three-month extensions by parliamentary resolution.
- Continues Gardaí enforcement powers for licensed premises inspections and closure orders; allows Mental Health Act 2001 amendments for psychiatric detention reviews.
- Enables health regulations to impose fixed penalties and dwelling event provisions under the Health Act 1947 to remain in force during pandemic.
Nursing Homes Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 Enacted
- Extends three-year cap on nursing home costs to family-owned farms and businesses if a family successor commits to working the asset for six years from appointment.
- Requires Health Service Executive to assess eligibility, appoint family successors, conduct compliance reviews, and recoup relief if conditions are breached during the relevant period.
- Allows people in care to appoint replacements if a family successor dies or becomes unable to work the asset, and permits asset transfers without triggering repayment obligations under certain circumstances.
Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) (Foetal Pain Relief) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 First Stage Defeated Carol Nolan
- Amends Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 to require pain relief be given to unborn child in later terminations where appropriate, except in emergency cases where impracticable.
- Requires notifications to Minister for Health under Act of 2018 to include information about pain relief administration where this new requirement applies.
- Requires records kept under Act of 2018 on terminations to include information relevant to the new pain relief requirements.