Bills
322 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Railway Safety Bill 2026
24 Jul 2026 First Stage Current
- Establishes statutory basis in primary legislation for Railway Accident Investigation Unit to continue investigating accidents and incidents on all railways, including light railways, metro, and heritage railways.
- Empowers Minister for Transport to make regulations prescribing which railways fall within RAIU's investigation scope and sets out investigation procedures, principles, and investigator powers.
- Amends Railway Safety Act 2005 regarding intoxicants and safety-critical workers on railways, and updates Freedom of Information Act 2014 to apply to Medical Bureau of Road Safety records related to railway functions.
Planning for Constitutional Change Bill 2026
9 Jul 2026 First Stage Defeated Mary Lou McDonald
- Requires Taoiseach to publish a Green Paper within 12 months examining economic, fiscal, governance and constitutional implications of potential Irish reunification.
- Establishes a Citizens' Assembly within 6 months of the Green Paper to examine Irish unity, with broad island representation and formal government response required.
- Mandates annual progress reports to Oireachtas and requires government engagement with Unionist, Protestant and other communities on constitutional change planning.
Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020
9 Jul 2026 First Stage Defeated Paul Murphy
- Bans hare coursing events (competitions where dogs hunt live hares) with immediate effect upon commencement; offenders face fines up to €5,000.
- Removes hare coursing exemptions from Wildlife Act 1976 and Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 by amending those Acts.
- Allows Irish Coursing Club to optionally shift focus to lure coursing (artificial lures, not live animals) for greyhounds and sighthounds.
Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation Bill 2026
1 Jul 2026 First Stage Current
- Creates defenses against abusive lawsuits targeting people engaged in public participation, allowing courts to strike out manifestly unfounded claims and award damages to defendants.
- Amends Defamation Act 2009 to add protections specifically for defamation cases involving public participation, mirroring protections for other civil proceedings.
- Enables courts to require plaintiffs to post security for costs, publish findings of abusive proceedings, and refuse enforcement of foreign judgments meeting SLAPP criteria.
Defence (Amendment) Bill 2026
16 Jun 2026 First Stage Current
- Removes requirement for UN Security Council mandate for Defence Forces deployment; expands 'relevant international force' to include EU, OSCE and other UN-consistent missions.
- Allows up to 50 Defence Forces members deployed without Dáil approval (previously 12); larger contingents require Dáil resolution before deployment.
- Enables suspension of Defence Forces members charged with serious crimes and dismissal of officers convicted of criminal offences or who discredit the Forces.
Air Navigation and Transport (Amendment) Bill 2026
11 Jun 2026 First Stage Defeated Patricia Stephenson
- Updates the 1946 Air Navigation and Transport Act to align Irish law with the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
- Implements international aviation standards and practices agreed under the Chicago Convention to which Ireland is a signatory.
- Specific amendments and practical changes not yet detailed; bill currently at Second Stage debate.
Public Health (Alcohol) (Amendment) Bill 2025
11 Jun 2026 First Stage Defeated Pádraig Rice
- Amends Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 to restrict advertising of alcohol-free and low-alcohol products that use branding, logos, or trademarks of regular-strength alcohol products.
- Prevents alcohol-free/low-alcohol products from displaying core branding features of regular alcohol brands to stop indirect promotion of alcoholic drinks.
- Updates definition of 'advertising' in principal Act and introduces new definition for 'alcohol-free or low-alcohol product'.
Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2026
29 May 2026 First Stage Current
- Requires RTÉ board members to have expertise in corporate governance, risk management, and finance; establishes Comptroller and Auditor General as RTÉ auditor; clarifies director general editorial powers.
- Extends broadcast duties and complaint procedures to non-broadcast public service content by RTÉ and TG4; allows Coimisiún na Meán to require compliance information from regulated media providers.
- Creates triennial performance appraisals and annual reviews of RTÉ and TG4 funding and compliance; mandates RTÉ dedicate minimum 25% public funding to independent programmes account; renames Broadcasting Fund to Ciste na Meán.
Sanctions against the State of Israel Bill 2025
21 May 2026 First Stage Defeated Paul Murphy
- Bans importing Israeli goods and technology, and financing such imports through loans, insurance or other financial means.
- Prohibits Irish business dealings with Israel: purchasing property or companies, providing loans, creating joint ventures, and supplying investment services.
- Blocks sales of goods and technology to Israel, technical assistance for Israeli infrastructure, and trading in Israeli securities or government loans.
Electricity Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2026
14 May 2026 First Stage Defeated Pa Daly
- CRU gains power to monitor and regulate hedging practices in energy markets and must report monthly on wholesale prices and supplier margins.
- CRU's anti-competitive behaviour powers expanded to match Competition Commission scope; must report quarterly on retail market functioning and price changes.
- CRU gains explicit consumer protection mandate to prevent unfair pricing and anti-competitive practices; Minister can issue energy affordability policy directions to CRU.
Reproductive Rights (Amendment) Bill 2026
14 May 2026 First Stage Defeated Holly Cairns
- Clarifies medical grounds for termination where mother's life or health is at risk, removing barriers identified in Marie O'Shea Report.
- Removes mandatory 3-day waiting period; replaces with optional reflection period at woman's discretion.
- Ends criminal liability for doctors providing abortion services; protects their duty to assist in medical emergencies over conscientious objection.
Industrial Development (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2026
8 May 2026 First Stage Current
- Raises technology acquisition grant thresholds to €7.5 million individual and €15 million aggregate, allowing IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to approve grants without Government approval up to these limits.
- Allows IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to establish joint-owned companies with third parties to develop property projects, and to provide environmental and consultancy grants on their own terms.
- Removes petroleum-spirit definition from dangerous substances law, replacing it with broader 'fuel' definition to extend storage licensing requirements to more flammable liquids.
Criminal Law (Adult Safeguarding) Bill 2026
7 May 2026 First Stage Current David Cullinane
- Creates new criminal offences for abuse, neglect, ill-treatment, or coercive control of vulnerable adults unable to protect themselves from harm or exploitation.
- Allows courts to ban offenders from working with vulnerable adults and requires care providers convicted of abuse to publish their identity and offence details.
- Protects victims' identities by criminalizing publication of information likely to identify alleged vulnerable adults or accused persons in these cases.
Institutional Burials (Amendment) Bill 2022
26 Feb 2026 First Stage Defeated Eileen Flynn
- Expands the Director of Authorised Intervention's powers to investigate suspected inappropriate burials in institutions even when exact burial locations are unknown.
- Allows people who believe they are related to those buried on institutional land to request excavation of that land.
- Bill was defeated at First Stage; did not progress to law.
Commission on the Future of the Family Farm Bill 2024
26 Feb 2026 First Stage Defeated Martin Kenny
- Establishes Commission on Future of Family Farm to make recommendations to Minister for Agriculture and Oireachtas on family farm economic viability and climate support.
- Commission membership appointed under Section 3; functions and operations set out in Section 4 regarding sustainable family-owned farm recommendations.
- Government must consider Commission reports on increasing family farms in economically, socially and environmentally sustainable manner per Section 5.
Education (Affordable School Uniforms) Bill 2025
6 Nov 2025 First Stage Defeated Darren O'Rourke
- Minister must make regulations requiring schools to develop affordable uniform policies in consultation with parents and students, with clear labeling of optional versus required items.
- Schools must source uniforms from multiple retailers, limit branded items, facilitate second-hand uniform access, and avoid frequent uniform changes to reduce family costs.
- Schools must comply within one year; Minister requests Ombudsman for Children's Office reports at 18 months then annually assessing school compliance and cost reduction effectiveness.
Developer Profits Transparency Bill 2023
10 Oct 2025 First Stage Defeated Cian O'Callaghan
- Amends Affordable Housing Act 2021 to require property developers receiving State subsidies to publish annual financial statements.
- Aims to increase transparency about profits of companies getting State subsidies for home building.
- Makes changes to section 41 of the Affordable Housing Act 2021 to implement the reporting requirement.
Criminal Justice (Trespass on Land) Bill 2025
25 Sep 2025 First Stage Current Carol Nolan
- Expands trespass offense from buildings only to all land types, making unauthorized entry onto any land a criminal offense if it causes or risks causing fear.
- Addresses rural concerns by criminalizing activities like quad biking, scrambling, and lurching on agricultural and community land without permission.
- Amends Section 13 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 to broaden scope of existing law to protect all farm and agricultural land.
Information on Repairability of Certain Products Bill 2024
22 May 2025 First Stage Defeated Maurice Quinlivan
- Creates repairability labels and product information sheets for common consumer goods like laptops and washing machines, showing repair ease and spare parts availability.
- Minister can expand product scope by regulation; Environmental Protection Agency enforces compliance through directions, with appeal rights to District Court.
- Suppliers must provide labels and sheets free of charge; dealers must display them visibly. Non-compliance triggers enforcement action and prosecution.
Sale of Nitrous Oxide and Related Products Bill 2024
13 May 2025 First Stage Withdrawn Mark Ward
- Restricts nitrous oxide sales to licensed wholesalers and registered retailers serving only commercial and medical users; unauthorised sales are offences.
- Prohibits selling nitrous oxide products to anyone under 18; allows gardaí to seize containers from minors in public places without criminalising possession.
- Allows gardaí to seize nitrous oxide in public places when reasonably believed misused for intoxication; establishes ministerial registers of licensed wholesalers and retailers.
Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023
13 May 2025 First Stage Withdrawn Seán Crowe
- Makes it illegal to sell nitrous oxide in any container (including online) to anyone under 18, if intended for causing intoxication.
- Gives gardaí power to seize nitrous oxide containers from children in public places reasonably believed to be misusing them for intoxication.
- Creates criminal offence punishable by class C fine or up to 12 months imprisonment under amended Child Care Act 1991.
Energy Poverty Reduction (Use of Surplus Renewable Energy) Bill 2025
21 Feb 2025 First Stage Current Paul McAuliffe
- Minister must publish an energy poverty reduction strategy within 6 months, setting out how surplus renewable energy will be directed to households experiencing energy poverty.
- Bill sets escalating targets: 20% of surplus energy to energy-poor families by 2026, rising to 50% by 2030.
- Minister must report to Oireachtas on implementation, tracking number of families benefiting and alignment with climate commitments.
Protection of Tenants' Deposits Bill 2025
14 Feb 2025 First Stage Current Paul Murphy
- Activates Section 61 of the 2015 Residential Tenancies Act, requiring tenant deposits be sent to the Residential Tenancies Board.
- Mandates a deposit protection scheme through regulations by the Housing Minister within 90 days of this Act's passage.
- Ends delay in implementing tenant deposit protections already legislated for but not yet commenced since 2015.
Republic of Ireland (Amendment) Bill 2025
30 Jan 2025 First Stage Lapsed Vincent P. Martin
- Removes section 2 of the 1948 Republic of Ireland Act, which currently defines how the State is described in law.
- Changes the official description or naming of the State by deleting existing legislative language from 1948.
- Bill did not progress beyond initial introduction; current status shows it lapsed without becoming law.