Bills
1,078 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Equality in Education Bill 2015
19 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Jonathan O'Brien
- Repeals religious discrimination exemption in Equal Status Act 2000, ending schools' legal right to prefer admissions based on applicants' religion.
- Requires Minister to issue guidelines within 12 months and mandates faith formation teaching outside school hours; general curriculum must be non-religious.
- Requires school boards to adopt diversity policies within 12 months, developed with parents and children, to ensure non-discriminatory admissions practices.
Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2015
19 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Mattie McGrath
- Protects certain mortgages from repeals made by the 2009 Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act, ensuring specific statutory rules still apply to them.
- Prevents the 2013 Act from removing homeowners' right to a full court hearing before eviction from their main residence.
- Allows courts to adjourn legal proceedings in certain cases and addresses related procedural matters.
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 (Supervision and Enforcement) (Amendment) Bill 2016
19 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Noel Rock
- Requires Central Bank to consult Minister for Finance on draft regulations and wait for written ministerial views and proposed amendments before proceeding.
- Requires Central Bank to consult relevant Oireachtas Joint Committee on draft regulations and wait for written committee views and amendments before proceeding.
- Requires all written communications between Minister, Joint Committee and Central Bank on draft regulations be completed in reasonable timeframe and laid before Oireachtas.
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.
Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2016
19 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Gerry Adams
- Amends Electoral Acts 1992–2015 to require all polling stations be wheelchair accessible.
- Ensures disabled voters can physically enter and use polling stations without barriers.
- Bill did not progress beyond First Stage and lapsed without becoming law.
Corporate Manslaughter Bill 2016
19 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Jonathan O'Brien
- Creates criminal offense of corporate manslaughter where an undertaking causes death by gross negligence in workplace health and safety.
- Creates separate offense of grossly negligent management causing death for high managerial agents; both prosecuted on indictment with fines and potential disqualification.
- Courts may impose remedial orders, community service orders, and adverse publicity orders on convicted undertakings; allows piercing corporate veil if company dissolved to evade liability.
Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) (Amendment) Bill 2016
19 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Billy Kelleher
- Amends 2013 Act to permit switching between biologic drugs and their biosimilar versions in medical treatment.
- Aims to increase flexibility in prescribing and potentially reduce costs of biologic medicines for patients.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage; did not progress to further parliamentary debate or votes.
Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2016
19 Feb 2020 Fifth Stage Lapsed Joan Freeman
- Amends Mental Health Act 2001 to ban child admissions to adult psychiatric units except in exceptional circumstances where best interests require it.
- Requires children admitted to adult units be housed separately from adults in age-appropriate environments with suitable facilities and conditions.
- Addresses practice where 75-95 children annually were admitted to adult units despite 2001 guidelines recommending none under 18 be placed there.
Declaration of Independence Day Bill 2017
19 Feb 2020 Fifth Stage Lapsed Paul Daly
- Establishes 21 January annually as 'Declaration of Independence Day' to formally recognise the First Dáil meeting and Declaration of Independence adoption on that date in 1919.
- The day is not a public holiday under the Holiday (Employees) Act 1973, so normal employment and business rules apply regardless of which weekday it falls.
- Bill provides definitions and standard commencement provisions; does not create statutory obligations or establish commemorative events beyond formal recognition.
Education (Welfare) (Amendment) Bill 2017
19 Feb 2020 Fifth Stage Lapsed Aodhán Ó Ríordáin
- Extends attendance requirements in Education (Welfare) Act 2000 to children under 6 years old enrolled in recognised schools, making parents subject to mandatory attendance rules.
- Strengthens National Educational Welfare Board's role in preventing non-attendance for enrolled junior and senior infant students below compulsory school age.
- Does not lower compulsory schooling age (remains 6-16 years) or affect school enrolment decisions; applies only to parents who voluntarily enrol under-6s.
Civil Law (Costs in Probate Matters) Bill 2017
19 Feb 2020 Fifth Stage Lapsed Billy Lawless
- Removes the rule allowing unsuccessful challengers of wills or estate administration to recover costs from the estate if their challenge was reasonable and made in good faith.
- Applies the ordinary litigation rule that costs follow the unsuccessful party, not the estate, to probate and administration disputes.
- Preserves existing cost positions for executors, administrators and other parties to such actions.
Children's Digital Protection Bill 2018
19 Feb 2020 Fifth Stage Lapsed Joan Freeman
- Establishes takedown procedure where Commission for Communications Regulation orders internet service providers to block legal but age-inappropriate content meeting the bill's definition of harmful material.
- Defines harmful material as content encouraging suicide or prolonged nutritional deprivation risking death or health endangerment, with Minister empowered to expand definition.
- Imposes sanctions on service providers who intentionally or recklessly fail to comply with removal notices within specified timeframes.
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.
Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) (Amendment) (Cross Border Crime Agency) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Brendan Smith
- Creates statutory Cross Border Crime Agency with Director General and 8 officers from Irish and Northern Irish security, tax, and environmental authorities.
- Agency investigates organised crime, human trafficking, fuel smuggling, and illicit trade in border region; receives information from both police forces.
- Director General must publish annual reports to Oireachtas and appear before relevant committees; agency reports protected from defamation proceedings.
Trade Union Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Mick Barry
- Removes restrictions on pickets: allows pickets for union aims beyond trade disputes, permits pickets at workplace approaches rather than entrances only, and allows anyone to join pickets without risk of injunction.
- Repeals ballot and notice requirements: eliminates requirement for secret ballots and one-week notice before industrial action, removing legal grounds employers use to obtain injunctions.
- Allows unions to take industrial action for individual worker grievances without exhausting agreed procedures first, enabling swift action in dismissals and victimization cases.
Insurance (Life Assurance and Life Insurance) (Amendment) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed James Browne
- Amends Insurance Act 2000: prohibits insurers from refusing to pay death benefits when insured person dies by suicide after 12 months from policy start date.
- Applies to life insurance, life assurance, and death benefit policies: prevents insurers from failing or refusing to execute payments in these circumstances.
- Removes insurer discretion to deny claims based solely on suicide as cause of death, provided 12-month period has elapsed since policy commencement.
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.
Organisation of Working Time (Domestic Violence Leave) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Mary Lou McDonald
- Creates statutory right to paid domestic violence leave for employees under Organisation of Working Time Act 1997.
- Extends unfair dismissal protections to employees taking domestic violence leave under Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977-2015.
- Defines domestic violence, coercive control, and eligible persons; sets leave entitlements, notification rules, and Workplace Relations Commission dispute resolution.
Fiscal Responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Martin Heydon
- Amends Fiscal Responsibility Act 2012 to give Irish Fiscal Advisory Council power to review opposition parties' pre-Budget policies and proposals.
- Council must report whether opposition parties' approaches support prudent economic and budgetary management.
- Changes section 8(4) of the 2012 Act to enable this new review and reporting function.
Broadcasting (Television Licence Fees Recovery) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Seán Sherlock
- Requires TV service providers (Sky, Virgin, etc.) to share subscription data with the licence fee collector on request to identify unlicensed TV set owners.
- Adds new section 145A to Broadcasting Act 2009 permitting data processing by the issuing agent to assist licence fee recovery and identification functions.
- Aims to reduce evasion rates estimated at 12-14% and potentially increase licence fee revenue by €25-30 million annually through cross-checking subscriber lists.
Public Health (Electronic Cigarettes and Herbal Cigarettes) Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Alan Farrell
- Prohibits selling or supplying electronic cigarettes, refill containers, and herbal cigarettes to anyone under 18 years old, creating criminal offences for violations.
- Establishes penalties for breaches and allows authorised officers under tobacco law to enforce these new age restrictions on related products.
- Closes gap in existing tobacco law, which already banned sales to under-18s but did not cover electronic or herbal cigarettes.
Latent Defects Redress Bill 2019
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Dessie Ellis
- Establishes independent Latent Defects Redress Board to provide information, mediation, and adjudication for homeowners affected by building regulation non-compliance, including fire safety and structural defects.
- Board will conduct risk assessments for latent defects and review existing sanctions against developers/builders for breaching building and fire safety standards, making recommendations to Minister.
- Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government appoints establishment day and determines Board's powers.