Bills
367 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2024
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Gino Kenny
- Creates legal framework allowing registered medical practitioners to assist qualifying persons with terminal illness to end their lives, subject to strict conditions and safeguards.
- Requires two independent medical assessments, psychological evaluation, written declaration with witnesses, and mental capacity verification before assistance can be provided.
- Establishes Review Committee for oversight, mandates healthcare professional training and certification, permits conscientious objection by medical staff, and requires five-yearly legislative review.
Urban Tree Protection and Sites Locally Important for Ecology Bill 2023
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Steven Matthews
- Creates new 'Sites Locally Important for Ecology Order' designation for nature site protection, with local authorities maintaining public online registers and appeals process.
- Strengthens tree protection by requiring roads authorities to prioritize preserving, lopping or trimming trees over felling, and mandates replacement of cut-down trees.
- Makes Tree Preservation Orders compulsory consideration in council plans, allows public to request order amendments or revocation, and requires arborist reports before tree removal by public bodies.
Unfair Dismissals (Increased Protections for Workers) (Amendment) Bill 2023
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Catherine Murphy
- Expands unfair dismissal protections to all employees regardless of employment length and removes age restrictions, covering workers over 16.
- Deems dismissal of single employee for industrial action unfair; protects workers dismissed for race, sexual orientation, trade union activity, pregnancy, protected disclosures, and other protected grounds.
- Reforms compensation system: awards decided by adjudication officer or Labour Court; full reimbursement of financial losses incurred due to dismissal; decisions issued within 28 days with reasoning.
Health (Waiting Lists) Bill 2024
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current David Cullinane
- Minister for Health must set specific performance targets for maximum waiting times across health and social care services, creating a legal basis for wait-time policies.
- National Treatment Purchase Fund Board expands from publishing hospital waiting lists only to collecting and publishing all health and social care waiting list data.
- Chief Executive of National Treatment Purchase Fund Board becomes accountable to the Minister for Health and to Oireachtas committees for managing the organisation.
Family Law (Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2024
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Patrick Costello
- Reduces minimum waiting period before divorce proceedings can begin from two years to six months.
- Amends Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996 to allow faster access to divorce courts for citizens.
- Shortens the overall timeframe for initiating divorce proceedings, enabling people to move on sooner.
Emergency Price Controls Bill 2024
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Bríd Smith
- Amends Consumer Protection Act 2007 to declare energy supply emergency and set maximum prices: petrol/diesel €1.75/litre, electricity 25c/kWh, natural gas 8c/kWh, heating oil €1/litre.
- Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment must review price controls within 12 months of the Act commencing.
- Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications must report on nationalising the energy system within 3 months of commencement.
Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (Protection of Financially Vulnerable Customers) Bill 2023
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Jennifer Whitmore
- Adds legal definition of 'vulnerable customers' to primary legislation, expanded to include those receiving social welfare income supports, replacing existing statutory instrument definition.
- Requires Commission for Regulation of Utilities to consider financial vulnerability and energy poverty risk in its duties and policy decisions affecting customers.
- Empowers Minister to make regulations implementing the updated vulnerable customer definition immediately upon the Act's commencement.
Electoral (Home Addresses of Candidates) Bill 2024
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Jennifer Whitmore
- Removes requirement for candidates' home addresses to appear on nomination papers, ballot papers, and postal ballots for all elections.
- Amends seven electoral laws governing Dáil, Seanad, local councils, European Parliament, and Presidential elections to exclude address publication.
- Aims to protect candidates' and families' privacy and safety, addressing increased harassment and deterring participation from vulnerable communities.
Education (Admission to Schools) (Co-Education) Bill 2022
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Ged Nash
- Removes gender discrimination exemption for single-sex primary schools 10 years after Bill passes; schools must then admit students regardless of gender.
- Removes gender discrimination exemption for single-sex post-primary schools 15 years after Bill passes; applies to recognised schools only.
- Disapplies exemptions in Equal Status Act 2000 and Education Act 1998 that currently allow single-sex schools to refuse opposite-gender admissions.
Derelict Sites (Amendment) Bill 2021
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Seán Sherlock
- Creates a legal charge on derelict land for expenses incurred by local authorities taking action to prevent or remedy dereliction.
- Makes local authorities secured creditors, improving recovery prospects when insolvent property owners' assets are liquidated and distributed.
- Applies to expenses incurred after the Bill passes; amends the Derelict Sites Act 1990 by adding new subsection (5A) to section 11.
Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) (Amendment) Bill 2022
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Patrick Costello
- Creates Early Identification Assessment system for relevant authorities to identify suspected trafficking victims and appoint guardians ad litem for child victims.
- Establishes formal victim identification process: applications to Minister, formal identification decision, and appeals process for relevant authorities.
- Provides immunity from prosecution for suspected victims compelled to commit crimes while trafficked, and specifies supports and assistance for identified victims.
Non-Fatal Offences against the Person (Amendment) (Spiking) Bill 2023
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current John Cummins
- Creates new crime of 'spiking': giving someone drugs without consent to overpower, sedate, or enable sexual assault, harm, theft, or other offences.
- Applies when perpetrator knows victim hasn't consented or is reckless about consent; covers injection, oral administration, or causing ingestion of substances.
- Amends Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act; specific spiking offence allows targeted prosecution distinct from existing assault or poisoning charges.
Ban Private Jet Aircraft from Irish Airspace Bill 2023
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Paul Murphy
- Amends Irish Aviation Authority Act 1993 to ban private jets from Irish airspace, with exceptions for medical evacuation, national security, state aircraft, and flight training.
- Creates criminal penalties: summary conviction up to €fine or 12 months imprisonment; indictment up to €150,000 fine or 5 years imprisonment.
- Does not restrict scheduled commercial flights, foreign sovereign state aircraft, or private military jets.
Animal Sentience Bill 2024
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Paul Murphy
- Amends Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to create Animal Sentience Committee of expert advisors to assess how government policies affect animal welfare.
- Committee must report whether policies harm sentient animals (vertebrates, cephalopods, decapod crustaceans) and recommend steps to address impacts.
- Minister must respond in writing to Committee reports and table responses in Dáil Éireann within three months of publication.
Animal Health and Welfare (Prohibition of Animal Testing for Botox) (Amendment) Bill 2024
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Paul Murphy
- Amends Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 to ban animal testing specifically for botox safety determination.
- Modifies section 16 of the 2013 Act to introduce the prohibition on botox-related animal testing.
- Applies commencement upon enactment; no transitional provisions or exemptions detailed in the memorandum.
Measuring Quality of Life in Ireland Bill 2020
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Ged Nash
- Central Statistics Office must annually publish Genuine Progress Indicators measuring quality of life by incorporating environmental and social factors beyond GDP.
- Central Statistics Office must publish National Distributional Accounts showing how economic growth and income distribute across population quintiles before and after tax.
- National Economic and Social Council must assess annual Budget impact on inequality, poverty reduction, and wealth redistribution, plus cumulative effect every five years.
Local Government (Community Gardens) Bill 2023
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Marc Ó Cathasaigh
- Local authorities must create and publish a community gardens policy every three years, setting conditions for developing, allocating, and using community gardens with Universal Design principles.
- Community members can apply to their local authority for community garden space; authorities must maintain waiting lists and allocate gardens based on published policy criteria.
- Local authorities must make bye-laws governing community garden use, publish policies online and in offices, and report annual progress on policy implementation.
Local Government (Amendment) (Transparency in Allocation of Funding) Bill 2021
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Johnny Guirke
- Minister must review local authority funding needs every two years, considering demographic changes and socio-economic factors.
- Review reports and funding allocations for each local authority must be laid before the Oireachtas.
- Amends Local Government Act 1998 to require statutory, regular assessment of funding needs before allocating Local Government Fund.
Thirty-fifth Amendment of the Constitution (Water in Public Ownership) Bill 2016
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Thomas Pringle
- Proposes constitutional amendment to establish that water in public ownership must remain publicly owned and controlled.
- Aims to prevent privatisation of public water supplies through constitutional protection rather than ordinary legislation.
- At Second Stage; amendment requires two-thirds parliamentary approval plus majority public referendum to pass.
Standards in Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2023
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Mairéad Farrell
- Allows the Standards in Public Office Commission to investigate ethics violations on its own initiative, without waiting for a formal complaint.
- Requires the Commission's Annual Report to go directly to parliament rather than through the Minister first.
- Makes failure to disclose financial interests an offence punishable by fine or up to 6 months imprisonment, and expands what counts as registerable interests to include specified liabilities.
Litter Pollution (Amendment) Bill 2022
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Patrick Costello
- Increases fines under the Litter Pollution Act 1997 to provide stronger deterrent against dog fouling.
- Addresses public health hazard by making penalties for litter offences more substantial.
- Makes transitional provisions to manage implementation of the amended fine structure.
Legal Aid (Amendment) Bill 2023
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Patrick Costello
- Amends Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 to broaden access criteria, making it easier for citizens to obtain civil legal aid certificates.
- Changes financial eligibility thresholds and contribution requirements so more people can afford legal aid and advice services.
- Aims to expand civil legal aid access to match availability of criminal legal aid and improve overall access to justice.
Law Reform (Contracts) Bill 2024
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Patrick Costello
- Allows third parties to enforce contractual terms they benefit from, addressing the privity of contract rule through comprehensive legislation rather than case-by-case exceptions.
- Permits variation and rescission of contracts while protecting promisors from double liability and providing available defences.
- Establishes orderly procedures for discharging contracts rendered impossible by frustration, replacing ad hoc judicial approaches with statutory clarity.
Road Traffic (All-Terrain Vehicle and Scrambler Motorcycle) (Amendment) Bill 2020
2 May 2025 Second Stage Current Paul McAuliffe
- Expands 'public place' definition in road traffic law to include parks and beaches, enabling gardaí to enforce registration and insurance rules for all-terrain vehicles and scrambler bikes in these areas.
- Makes it an offence to ride all-terrain vehicles or scrambler bikes dangerously in public places, with vehicle confiscation as penalty.
- Allows gardaí to seize scrambler bikes from dwelling curtilages where they believe the vehicle has been used to commit an offence under this Bill.