Bills
359 bills tracked. What do the stages mean?
Electoral (Postal Voting) (Carers) Bill 2026
17 Jul 2026 Second Stage Current Mark Wall
- Amends Electoral Act 1992 to allow carers to register as postal voters, extending eligibility beyond current illness/disability grounds.
- Creates three new carer categories eligible for postal voting: recipients of domiciliary care allowance, carer's benefit/allowance/support grant, or home carer's tax credit claimants.
- Updates Electoral Acts 1992–2023 framework to include new postal voter registration provisions for carers.
Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026
10 Jul 2026 Second Stage Current Paul Murphy
- Bans U.S. military aircraft and civil aircraft carrying weapons/ammunition from landing in Ireland, except during aircraft distress searches or rescue operations.
- Defines 'U.S. military aircraft' as aircraft owned and used militarily by the United States, and 'munitions of war' as weapons, ammunition and their parts.
- Act comes into force within 90 days of presidential signature.
Adult Safeguarding Strategy Bill 2026
9 Jul 2026 Second Stage Current Tom Clonan
- Minister for Health must create periodic strategic plans to protect adults at risk of harm.
- Bill requires implementation oversight and reviews of these safeguarding strategies; related provisions included.
- Specific harm types, update frequency, and enforcement mechanisms not detailed in long title.
Prevention of Energy Wastage Bill 2026
3 Jul 2026 Second Stage Current Jennifer Whitmore
- Amends Climate Action Act 2021 to require minister make regulations ensuring curtailed and constrained renewable electricity available free to eligible customers.
- Requires CRU establish Wasted Electricity Utilisation Scheme within 12 months, prioritizing vulnerable households and those at risk of energy poverty.
- Addresses renewable electricity wastage by redirecting otherwise-wasted power to reduce energy poverty and support just transition, without mandating price controls.
Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) (Amendment) Bill 2026
30 Jun 2026 Second Stage Current
- Requires nicotine inhaling products be kept in closed containers at retail, restricts their advertising in shops and online, and allows Minister to regulate permitted flavour names.
- Bans sale of nicotine consumption products to children and restricts their display and advertising in retail premises and online.
- Expands enforcement powers: authorised officers can investigate supply chains, take samples, issue prohibition notices, and seize non-compliant or seriously harmful products.
Anti-Shrinkflation Bill 2026
24 Jun 2026 Second Stage Current Holly Cairns
- Requires retailers (400m²+ or 5+ store chains) to label products with reduced quantities for 60+ days to show unit price increases.
- Exempts products where manufacturer already labels unit price increases or increases are under 3%.
- Breaches incur fines up to €15,000, enforced by Competition and Consumer Protection Commission; Act reviewed within 18 months.
Electricity Regulation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2026
18 Jun 2026 Second Stage Current Barry Heneghan
- Replaces restrictive section 37 with new Part VA: CRU grants permissions for private electricity lines (direct lines) via application or deemed-permitted class orders.
- CRU gains explicit regulatory authority over direct line safety standards, inspection, installation, operation and decommissioning via regulations and appointed safety officers.
- CRU must maintain public register of permitted direct lines; can refuse applications on non-discrimination grounds or market harm; can direct ownership transfer to grid operators at connection.
Health (Amendment) Bill 2026
18 Jun 2026 Second Stage Current Louise O'Reilly
- Requires Minister for Health to review Long Term Illness Scheme effectiveness every three years, starting within 12 months of bill passage.
- Minister must publish review findings within 6 months and present reports to Oireachtas and Department of Health website.
- Updates Health Act 1970 to ensure free medicines/appliances scheme for long-term conditions remains fit for purpose and current.
School Meals Nutritional Standards Bill 2026
17 Jun 2026 Second Stage Current Jen Cummins
- Minister for Health must make regulations within 12 months setting nutritional standards for State or local authority-funded school meals, covering portion sizes, food groups, drinks, and vegetarian options.
- Food Safety Authority of Ireland gains enforcement powers to monitor and enforce compliance with school meal nutritional standards regulations.
- Schools gain statutory duty to promote healthy food environments for students, moving nutritional standards from administrative guidance to legal requirement.
Forestry (Critical Infrastructure) (Amendment) Bill 2026
17 Jun 2026 Second Stage Current Martin Kenny
- Amends Forestry Act 2014 to establish statutory minimum corridor widths for water mains, gas lines, and electricity lines crossing forestry lands.
- Increases minimum centre width for 10kV and 38kV power lines from 20 meters to 55 meters to ensure safe operation and maintenance.
- Provides legally binding clearance requirements to protect critical infrastructure where it traverses or adjoins forestry lands.
Media Regulation Bill 2026
12 Jun 2026 Second Stage Current
- Transfers media merger assessment functions from the Minister for Culture to Coimisiún na Meán, with expanded grounds including editorial independence and a 'call-in' power for mergers not meeting standard thresholds.
- Requires public authorities to publish annual state advertising expenditure data and distribute spending across diverse media providers; Coimisiún na Meán monitors compliance and produces annual reports.
- Mandates creation of a national media ownership database from information disclosed by media service providers; allows Coimisiún na Meán to request audience measurement transparency codes from broadcasters.
Prohibition of Sulky-Racing Bill 2026
11 Jun 2026 Second Stage Current Mattie McGrath
- Prohibits sulky-racing on public roads under local authority jurisdiction without lawful permission; defines sulky-racing as racing horse-drawn vehicles on such roads.
- Makes it illegal to organise, cause, or permit sulky-racing or use of stimulated animals in racing; breaches carry fines up to €5,000 or imprisonment up to six years.
- Grants local authorities enforcement powers and allows fixed penalty notices; addresses safety risks to public, motorists, children, and animal welfare concerns from road racing.
Electoral (Amendment) (Voting Age) Bill 2026
11 Jun 2026 Second Stage Current Joanne Collins
- Lowers voting age for European Parliament elections from 18 to 16 years by amending Electoral Act 1992 section 9.
- Lowers voting age for local government elections from 18 to 16 years by amending Electoral Act 1992 section 10.
- Allows 16-year-olds to register as electors in both European Parliament and local government elections.
Dublin Transport Authority (Amendment) Bill 2026
28 May 2026 Second Stage Current
- Extends National Transport Authority's power to build public transport infrastructure projects like BusConnects from Greater Dublin Area to entire State.
- Amends definition of 'road authority' in 2008 Act to remove geographical limitation, enabling NTA to act as public transport authority nationwide.
- Provides legislative framework for NTA to construct infrastructure when it deems this more convenient, expeditious, effective or economical than alternatives.
Comptroller and Auditor General (Due Diligence Complicity Audit) (Amendment) Bill 2026
13 May 2026 Second Stage Current Aengus Ó Snodaigh
- Amends the Comptroller and Auditor General Act 1993 to require a special due diligence audit of Ireland's relations with Israel within one year, covering aid, assistance, and all cultural, diplomatic, economic, financial, political and military dealings.
- Audit must follow UN Commission of Inquiry's legal analysis on International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion regarding unlawful occupation and breaches of international law, with findings and compliance recommendations reported to the Oireachtas.
- Empowers the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to request similar due diligence audits of other states believed responsible for unlawful occupation or serious breaches of international law including genocide.
National Minimum Wage (Equal Pay for Apprentices and Young Workers) Bill 2026
13 May 2026 Second Stage Current Paul Murphy
- Deletes apprentice exemption from National Minimum Wage Act 2000, making apprentices subject to minimum wage requirements.
- Removes reduced minimum wage rates for workers under 20 years old by deleting section 15 of the 2000 Act.
- Requires all apprentices and young workers to be paid 100% of the national minimum wage regardless of age or status.
Health (Abolition of Three Day Wait Rule) (Amendment) Bill 2026
8 May 2026 Second Stage Current David Cullinane
- Removes mandatory three-day waiting period before accessing termination of pregnancy under section 12 of the 2018 Act.
- Deletes references to three-day wait requirement in pregnancy certification processes under section 12.
- Comes into force on date appointed by Minister for Health.
Work Life Balance Bill 2026
8 May 2026 Second Stage Current Sinéad Gibney
- Employees gain day-one right to request flexible and remote working; employers must approve or reject within 4 weeks based only on specified business grounds, replacing current discretionary refusal rules.
- Repeals Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023 and Part IIA of Parental Leave Act 1998; amends redundancy, dismissal, and working time laws to protect flexible work arrangements.
- Protects employees from penalisation for requesting flexible work; disputes resolved via adjudication officer or Labour Court with remedies including compliance directions and compensation.
Residential Tenancies (Temporary Prohibition of Termination Notices) Bill 2026
7 May 2026 Second Stage Current Conor Sheehan
- Bans no-fault termination notices under Residential Tenancies Act 2004 for 3 years, except for breach of tenant obligations or non-payment of rent.
- Declares the 3-year period an emergency period, activating the same legal protections that applied during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Responds to 41% rise in termination notices in late 2025 and rents doubling over 10 years by temporarily preventing landlord no-fault evictions.
Local Government (Cities) Bill 2026
29 Apr 2026 Second Stage Current Joanna Byrne
- Renames the municipal district containing Drogheda Urban to 'Municipal District of Drogheda City' in English and provides Irish language equivalent.
- Creates a process allowing towns with 45,000+ population density of 1,500/km² to apply for city status via council petition and ministerial approval.
- Amends Local Government Act 2001 to establish criteria, procedures and ministerial discretion for granting city status to qualifying specified towns.
Gender Recognition (Amendment) (Prisons) Bill 2025
28 Apr 2026 Second Stage Current Peadar Tóibín
- Amends Gender Recognition Act 2015 to clarify that a gender recognition certificate does not change how prisoners are classified for prison single-sex accommodation rules.
- Ensures Prison Rules 2007 Rule 52(1) on male/female prisoner separation applies regardless of whether a gender recognition certificate was issued before or after this Bill passes.
- Applies retroactively to all existing and future gender recognition certificates and all periods of imprisonment, whether started before or after the Bill's passage.
Valuation (Amendment) Bill 2026
28 Apr 2026 Second Stage Current Joe Neville
- Exempts non-profit early childhood care and education providers from business rates, including after-care and part-time provision.
- Exempts for-profit early childhood providers receiving Core Funding and capping fees at ECCE programme rates from business rates.
- Exempts childminders offering services from their home (mixed-use dwelling) from business rates on that portion.
Child Maintenance Bill 2026
27 Apr 2026 Second Stage Current Pauline Tully
- Revenue Commissioners will administratively assess child maintenance liabilities using standard formulae set by the Minister for Justice, determining who pays and receives, before court applications are generally permitted.
- Assessments become binding only if all parties accept them; rejection triggers court proceedings under existing law. Assessments can be updated for changed circumstances.
- Revenue Commissioners calculate liability by comparing each parent's income percentage against care cost percentage, applying deductions for living allowance, dependent children, and multiple child maintenance groups.
Life Annuity (Ireland) Bill 2026
22 Apr 2026 Second Stage Current Catherine Ardagh
- Establishes regulated framework for Life Annuity agreements allowing older homeowners to receive lump sums or regular payments while retaining lifetime residence rights in their homes.
- Introduces consumer protections: mandatory independent legal and financial advice, statutory cooling-off period, standardised disclosure, and Central Bank regulatory oversight of commercial operators.
- Distributes longevity risk between purchaser and vendor as alternative to existing high-interest equity release products; ensures vendor's residence rights are legally enforceable and registered.