Bills
1,078 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Mental Health Parity Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed James Browne
- Places legal duty on Minister for Health to promote mental health parity with physical health across the health system.
- Requires all health organisations to meet parity obligations for mental health services and integrate mental with physical care.
- Aims to address systemic neglect and resource shortages in mental health through policy and cultural shift in governance.
Court Funds Administration Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed John McGuinness
- Gives the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General power to audit and scrutinise the Fund of Wards of Court, which the Courts Service manages.
- Extends similar audit oversight to funds held for persons under decision-making representatives under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015.
- Amends the Trustee (Authorised Investments) Act 1958 to include other court-ordered funds under the bill's audit provisions.
Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Separation of Church and State) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Ruth Coppinger
- Proposed constitutional amendment to separate church and state in Ireland's governance structures.
- Bill lapsed without progressing beyond First Stage; no further legislative action occurred.
- Specific amendment text or practical effects not detailed in available information.
Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Blasphemy) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Catherine Murphy
- Proposes to remove the constitutional offence of blasphemy, which currently prohibits insulting religion.
- Would delete Article 40.6.1(i) from the Constitution that defines and protects against blasphemous utterances.
- Required public referendum to pass; bill lapsed without progressing beyond initial parliamentary stage.
Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Catherine Murphy
- Removes the criminal offence of blasphemy from the 2009 Defamation Act, decriminalising insulting religious beliefs.
- Bill lapsed without progressing; did not become law. Status unclear on whether reintroduced in subsequent sessions.
- Sponsored by Catherine Murphy; practical effect would eliminate blasphemy as punishable crime if passed.
Small Unmanned Aircraft (Drones) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed James Lawless
- Creates a regulatory framework for small unmanned aircraft (drones) to manage their safe operation and related activities.
- Bill was introduced at First Stage but lapsed without progressing further through the legislative process.
- Specific rules, licensing requirements, and enforcement mechanisms are not detailed in available title information.
Education (Inspection of Individual Education Plans for Children with Special Needs) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Carol Nolan
- Amends Education Act 1998 to expand school inspectorate powers to examine and report on individual education plans for children with special needs annually.
- Inspectorate must assess prevalence and standard of these plans, then report findings to the Minister each year.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage—never progressed through parliament, so changes never became law.
Genuine Progress Indicators and National Distributional Accounts Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Brendan Howlin
- Requires CSO and NESC to develop and publish Genuine Progress Indicators annually, measuring well-being by incorporating environmental and social factors beyond GDP.
- Requires CSO and NESC to publish National Distributional Accounts showing how economic growth is distributed across income groups before and after tax.
- Requires NESC to assess each Budget's impact on inequality, poverty reduction, and income redistribution annually and cumulatively every five years.
Planning and Development (Rapid Broadband) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed James Lawless
- Speeds up broadband infrastructure installation by allowing planning permission to require ducting (underground conduits) in new building developments for future telecom cables.
- Lets state agencies share their infrastructure with telecom and broadband providers to reduce duplication and costs of installing new networks nationally.
- Creates a public register of all telecoms infrastructure and its owners to help plan future broadband and telecom services more efficiently.
Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed
- Publishes quarterly names and addresses of people convicted of social welfare fraud to deter fraudulent activity.
- Extends earnings disregard for people with disabilities to all employment types, not just rehabilitative work.
- Allows voluntary use of Public Services Card for identity verification with external providers like credit unions and utilities.
Education (Regulation of Voluntary Contributions in Schools) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Carol Nolan
- Minister must make regulations requiring schools to clearly state that voluntary contributions are not obligatory (except fee-paying schools) and prohibit differential treatment of students based on parents' contribution choices.
- Schools limited to contacting parents once yearly for voluntary contributions; prohibited from seeking contributions when public funding suffices for daily operating costs.
- Schools must publish annual financial statements showing receipt and use of voluntary contributions, accessible to parents, without identifying individual contributors.
Mortgage Arrears Resolution (Family Home) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Michael McGrath
- Creates a Mortgage Resolution Office to handle disputes over mortgages on family homes outside courts.
- Allows the Office to issue binding Mortgage Resolution Orders to resolve mortgage arrears cases.
- Establishes an independent appeals process for people who disagree with the Office's decisions.
Rent Transparency Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Noel Rock
- Landlords must provide renters with key information and agree to share it with the Residential Tenancies Board.
- Amends 2004 Residential Tenancies Act to make publishing rental property details a legal requirement.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage; never became law. Aimed to increase transparency in rental market.
Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Jim O'Callaghan
- Adds 'disadvantaged socio-economic status' as a new protected ground in Employment Equality Act 1998, prohibiting employers from discriminating against job applicants based on their area or socio-economic background.
- Adds 'disadvantaged socio-economic status' as a new protected ground in Equal Status Act 2000, preventing service providers from discriminating against people based on where they live or their socio-economic background.
- Expands definitions of discriminatory grounds in both Acts to include the new socio-economic status ground alongside existing nine protected grounds.
Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Protection of Pension Property Rights) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Willie O'Dea
- Proposes constitutional amendment to protect pension property rights from legislative changes.
- Bill lapsed before progressing beyond First Stage; status unclear on specific pension protections intended.
- Sponsored by Willie O'Dea; detailed scope and practical effect not available from provided information.
Industrial Relations (Defence Forces) (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Ruth Coppinger
- Allows Defence Forces members to access Workplace Relations Commission and Labour Court for workplace disputes.
- Removes restrictions preventing Defence Forces members from joining trade unions or their representative associations from affiliating with unions.
- Amends Industrial Relations Act 1990 and Defence (Amendment) Act 1990 to include Defence Forces in worker protections.
Waste Reduction Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Eamon Ryan
- Bans single-use non-compostable cups and tableware from sale or use.
- Introduces deposit and return schemes for beverage containers to encourage recycling.
- Bill lapsed; did not progress beyond Second Stage debate in Dáil.
Criminal Justice (Commission of Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Kevin Boxer Moran
- Amends Criminal Justice Act 2007 to add sexual offences to Schedule 2, triggering mandatory minimum sentences of three-quarters maximum sentence for repeat offenders convicted within 7 years of prior release.
- Repeat sex offenders must serve at least 10 years minimum where the offence carries life imprisonment; courts may only avoid this if satisfied it would be disproportionate.
- Applies to offenders previously imprisoned for sexual offences who commit further sexual or serious offences after release, addressing persistent public danger from serial offenders.
Valuation (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Barry Cowen
- Amends Valuation Act 2001 to cap how much commercial rates can change per assessment period.
- Spreads rate variation increases over multiple years rather than applying full change immediately.
- Bill lapsed without passing; provides certainty to business ratepayers on property tax liability.
Health and Safety (Funfair) (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 Second Stage Lapsed Niall Collins
- Amends 2005 workplace safety law to set stricter health and safety rules specifically for funfairs and amusement attractions.
- Aims to improve operator and visitor protection through enhanced standards, though specific new requirements are not detailed in title.
- Bill did not complete parliament—lapsed before becoming law, so these changes were not implemented.
Foal Levy Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Clare Daly
- Amends 1994 and 1999 horseracing Acts to change how foal levy fees are charged on horse breeding.
- Creates a new Levy Committee to oversee foal levy administration and decision-making.
- Bill did not progress beyond introduction; status lapsed without becoming law.
Urban Regeneration and Housing (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Catherine Murphy
- Removes minimum 0.05 hectare threshold so vacant site levy applies to smaller sites that could accommodate housing under development standards.
- Increases vacant site levy by 1% annually for each full year site remains vacant, replacing fixed 3% rate.
- Eliminates exemptions and reduced levy rates for sites with outstanding loans; requires zoning and area details published on Vacant Site Register.
Education (Guidance Counselling Provision) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Carol Nolan
- Minister must publish annual education impact study on effects of providing guidance counselling within standard staffing schedule rather than separately.
- Study must name schools reducing guidance counselling provision due to this arrangement, with focus on DEIS-designated schools and student wellbeing impact.
- Bill applies only while the staffing arrangement continues; obligation ends if the Minister changes the guidance counselling provision method.
Equal Status (Amendment) Bill 2017
13 Feb 2020 First Stage Lapsed Catherine Murphy
- Amends Equal Status Act 2000 to ban publicly funded schools from discriminating against children in admission based on religious beliefs.
- Changes section 7(3) of the Equal Status Act to strengthen protections for students of all faiths or none in school admissions.
- Bill did not progress beyond First Stage and lapsed. Information on specific exemptions or implementation details is unavailable.