Bills
322 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
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.
Planning and Development (Strategic Housing Developments) (Amendment) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 First Stage Withdrawn Róisín Shortall
- Removes mandatory ministerial planning guidelines requirement; planning authorities must only 'have regard to' guidelines, not comply with them.
- Ends fast-track strategic housing development approvals process; no new applications to planning board allowed after bill passes.
- Increases Strategic Housing Division board members and quorum requirements to support greater public participation in planning decisions.
Employment Permits (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 First Stage Defeated Paul Murphy
- Allows migrant workers without valid permits to access Workplace Relations Commission if they took reasonable steps to obtain one, enabling them to claim compensation for employer breaches.
- Permits migrant workers on general employment permits to change employers within first year if employment risks their health, safety, dignity or wellbeing, without losing work rights.
- Requires employers in meat processing, dairy and horticulture to provide sick pay schemes covering at least 70% of wages for 4 weeks to 6 months before receiving permits.
Principles of Social Welfare Bill 2021
11 Sep 2024 First Stage Defeated Seán Sherlock
- Establishes nine social welfare principles (dignity, poverty reduction, public service, evidence-based design) that must guide interpretation and administration of Social Welfare Acts by all decision-makers and courts.
- Requires Minister to create and review a social welfare charter setting expectations for government, administrators, and benefit recipients; Minister must consult Citizens Information Board and affected persons.
- Imposes duty on Minister to promote take-up of eligible benefits; requires regular take-up strategies, cross-benefit eligibility identification, accessible information, and applicant support during interviews.
Mortgage Interest Rates Cap Bill 2023
30 Aug 2024 First Stage Defeated Richard Boyd Barrett
- Directs Central Bank to order mortgage lenders to cap interest rates on home mortgages at maximum 3 per cent annually.
- Minister for Finance must review how the law works within 2 years of it becoming law.
- Law takes effect within 90 days of presidential approval.
Rent Reduction Bill 2023
30 Aug 2024 First Stage Defeated Richard Boyd Barrett
- Amends Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to cap rents at maximum of one-quarter of local or national median monthly household income, whichever is lower, based on household size.
- Establishes National Rent Authority composed of tenant and employee representatives to determine income thresholds, set maximum household sizes, and designate luxury accommodation (capped at 5% of local stock).
- Applies rent limits immediately to new tenancies and to existing tenancies within 12 months of the Act coming into force; excludes luxury accommodation from restrictions.
Electoral Reform (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2023
30 Aug 2024 First Stage Withdrawn Lynn Ruane
- Amends Electoral Reform Act 2022 to require An Coimisiún Toghcháin to review Seanad electoral system, franchise rules, and voting age requirements.
- Amends Electoral Act 1997 to protect civil society organisations' freedom of association and expression, and provide free public transport on polling day.
- Bill withdrawn at First Stage; specific review timelines, franchise proposals, and transport implementation details not available from long title alone.
Residential Tenancies (Deferment of Termination Dates of Certain Tenancies) Bill 2023
30 Aug 2024 First Stage Defeated Eoin Ó Broin
- Defers termination dates of residential tenancies ending between bill passage and 31 January 2024, except those involving tenant breach or non-payment of rent.
- Requires short-term tenancies (under 6 months) with no tenant breach to have new termination date of at least 18 April 2024.
- Phases terminations over time to reduce pressure on housing services from deferred evictions during winter emergency period.
Taisceadán (Valuable Property Register) Bill 2019
17 Apr 2023 First Stage Defeated Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
- Establishes Taisceadán, a register of personal property managed by An Garda Síochána to help identify items for crime investigation and property repatriation.
- Gardaí register property in consultation with Justice Minister; allows marking of registered items and expands property types by regulation as appropriate.
- Minister can make regulations on registration procedures, supplementary provisions, and how register integrates with EU databases.
Planning and Development (Protect Social Housing) Bill 2020
31 Mar 2022 First Stage Defeated Chris Andrews
- Repeals section 97 subsection (3B) of the Planning and Development Act 2000, removing a specific provision governing planning permissions.
- Amends the Planning and Development Act 2000 by deleting subsection (3B) of section 97 as previously amended in 2002.
- No substantive details provided in memorandum on what subsection (3B) currently does or why its removal protects social housing.
Trade Union Representation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2018
10 Jan 2022 First Stage Defeated David Cullinane
- Amends 1941 and 2001 labour laws to give authorised unions the right to have employer recognition for member representation in pay negotiations and disciplinary cases.
- Employers would be required to acknowledge and deal with union representatives on collective bargaining and worker disciplinary matters.
- Bill did not progress beyond First Stage introduction; was defeated and did not become law.
Planning and Development (Climate Measures) (Amendment) Bill 2019
17 Jun 2021 First Stage Withdrawn Bríd Smith
- Removes liquefied natural gas terminals and other fossil fuel projects from the list of strategic developments that can apply directly to An Bord Pleanála.
- Requires An Bord Pleanála to assess whether proposed strategic infrastructure projects align with Ireland's climate goals and reduce CO2 emissions nationally and globally.
- Allows An Bord Pleanála to consult the Environmental Protection Agency on whether projects meet climate criteria before approval.
Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Inclusive Budget Reform) Bill 2014
9 Jun 2021 First Stage Defeated Pearse Doherty
- Proposed constitutional amendment to reform Ireland's budget process, sponsored by Pearse Doherty in 2014.
- Bill did not progress beyond First Stage; defeated and did not become law.
- Specific constitutional changes intended are not detailed in the available title information provided.
Organisation of Working Time (Workers Rights and Bogus Self-Employment) (Amendment) Bill 2019
25 Feb 2021 First Stage Withdrawn Maurice Quinlivan
- Makes it an offence for employers to misclassify employees as self-employed when the actual working relationship indicates an employment contract.
- Extends Organisation of Working Time Act protections to Garda members, Defence Forces personnel, sea workers, and trainee doctors.
- Grants self-employed workers rights to daily rest, weekly rest, maximum working hours, annual leave, and public holiday pay to reduce bogus self-employment incentives.
Prohibition of Sulky-Racing Bill 2018
17 Dec 2020 First Stage Defeated Mattie McGrath
- Proposes to ban sulky racing (horse-drawn cart racing) unless the organizer obtains legal permission beforehand.
- Aimed at stopping unauthorized sulky racing events on public roads or private land without proper licensing.
- Bill was defeated at First Stage in 2018; did not proceed to further debate or enactment.
Deportation Moratorium (Covid-19) Bill 2020
10 Dec 2020 First Stage Defeated Frances Black
- Proposed to ban deportations from Ireland during the Covid-19 public health emergency.
- Would have prevented removal of persons from the State while Covid-19 restrictions were in place.
- Bill did not progress beyond First Stage and was defeated in the Oireachtas.
Ban on Rent Increases Bill 2020
4 Nov 2020 First Stage Defeated Eoin Ó Broin
- Freezes rents for existing tenancies at their rate on the bill's enactment date for three years.
- Sets new tenancy rents using Residential Tenancies Board index for equivalent local properties, not market rates.
- Subjects the three-year rent freeze to annual review to assess whether to continue or modify.
Ministers and Ministers of State (Successors) Bill 2020
4 Nov 2020 First Stage Defeated Peadar Tóibín
- Requires Taoiseach to nominate successors to Ministers and Ministers of State who lose Oireachtas membership after general elections within six weeks.
- Successor Ministers need Dáil approval before appointment; successor Ministers of State appointed by sitting Government, consistent with 1977 Act procedures.
- Amends 1977 Act so Ministers of State appointments end when successor appointed, not just when Taoiseach's successor takes office.
Ministerial Power (Repeal) (Ban Co-Living and Build to Rent) Bill 2020
3 Nov 2020 First Stage Defeated Eoin Ó Broin
- Deletes section 28(1C) from the Planning and Development Act 2000, which allowed ministers to issue planning guidelines to local authorities.
- Repeals the Build to Rent and Shared Accommodation sections of the March 2018 Sustainable Urban Housing apartment design guidelines.
- Removes ministerial power to mandate co-living and build-to-rent housing policies through planning directives to planning authorities.
National Housing Co-operative Bill 2017
20 Apr 2020 First Stage Lapsed Victor Boyhan
- Establishes National Housing Co-operative to purchase distressed mortgages from lenders, allowing homeowners to transition from mortgage to 'rent and mortgage' arrangements.
- Finances €5 billion acquisition through 20-year secured property bonds backed by European Investment Fund guarantee; purchase price neutral to selling lenders.
- Provides homeowners with options including extended mortgages, interest-only payments, rent supplements, or local authority management to prevent repossession and homelessness.
Industrial Relations (Collective Action) Bill 2018
20 Apr 2020 First Stage Lapsed Paul Gavan
- Amends the 1990 Industrial Relations Act to allow collective action without exhausting all agreed dispute procedures first.
- Removes the legal requirement that workers must complete every step in company procedures before striking or taking industrial action.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage; no record of passage into law. Practical effect unclear as not enacted.
National Anthem (Protection of Copyright and Related Rights) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2016
20 Apr 2020 First Stage Lapsed Diarmuid Wilson
- Restores copyright protection for Ireland's national anthem under the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000.
- Amends copyright law to give the State control over how the anthem is used and reproduced.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage in 2016; no further legislative action taken.
Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2018
20 Apr 2020 First Stage Lapsed Fintan Warfield
- Requires radio stations to broadcast a minimum percentage of Irish language music, amending the 2009 Broadcasting Act.
- Sets a quota for Irish-language works in music programming; specific percentage not detailed in long title.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage; did not progress to become law.
Charities (Human Rights) Bill 2018
20 Apr 2020 First Stage Lapsed Paul Gavan
- Adds 'advancement of human rights' as a recognised charitable purpose under the Charities Act 2009.
- Removes 'advancement of religion' from the list of recognised charitable purposes for charity registration.
- Bill lapsed at First Stage; did not progress to legislative debate or enactment.