Autumn 2024 Government Priority Legislation Programme

The Autumn Legislative Programme is an ambitious one as it may be the last programme of this current Government. 61 priority pieces of draft legislation (Bills) have been listed for progression in the autumn sitting of the Dáil. Of these 61 priority Bills, 29 will be prioritised for publication and 32 will be prioritised for drafting.

In launching the programme, Government Chief Whip, Hildegarde Naughton TD stated:

“Since my appointment as Government Chief Whip in December 2022, Government has overseen the enactment and publication of 148 pieces of legislation, all of which contribute towards making life a little bit easier for families, for workers, for farmers and for society as a whole. Since the formation of this Government (June 2020), 211 bills have been published and 203 bills have been enacted.”

The complete Autumn Legislation Programme 2024 can be accessed online.

Public Sector

The Employment (Restriction of Certain Mandatory Retirement Ages) Bill will remove the ability of an employer to force an employee to retire once they reach State pension age. The pre-legislative scrutiny stage of this Bill has been completed. Work is ongoing on the Civil Service Regulation and Public Service Management (Amendment) Bill. The Bill aims to amend existing legislation to provide for disciplinary action, including procedures for the dismissal of civil servants. The Ethics in Public Office Bill aims to reform and consolidate the Ethics in Public Office legislation.

Regulatory Bodies

The Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill has concluded its detailed examination (pre-legislative scrutiny) phase. This Bill will make a number of amendments to existing legislation focused on ensuring that third party operators of Liquid Petroleum Gas networks are fully incorporated into the Commission for Regulation of Utilities’ (CRU) regulatory regime. Work is ongoing on the Railway Safety (Amendment) Bill, which includes proposals to update provisions in the Railway Safety Act 2005 relating to functions of the Commission for Railway Regulation.

Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill completed in July 2024. One of the chief aims of this Bill is to enable the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be more efficient and effective in its determinations. It will do so by providing a streamlined approach for decision-making and shortening the period for final determinations of industrial emissions and waste licences of the EPA. Heads are in preparation of the Heat (Networks and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which aims to establish a regulatory model for district heating that ensures consumer protection and the delivery of a vibrant district heating industry.

Meanwhile, heads have been approved in the Regulated Professions (Health & Social Care) (Amendment) Bill, which will amend the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, and the Dentists Act 1985. The aim is to create internal operational efficiencies to support the regulators in fulfilling their public protection objectives. Similarly, work is underway on the Health (Pharmacy and Prescribing) Bill, which aims to update the Pharmacy Act 2007 to enable the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) to streamline functions, such as fitness to practice processes.

Health

Heads of Bill are in preparation for the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) (No.2) Bill, which will address issues related to parentage and citizenship arising from the use of fertility clinics abroad by Irish residents and Irish citizens living abroad.

The Health (Amendment) Bill features again in the Government’s priory legislative programme. Its aim is to amend the Health Act 2004, by introducing corporate governance, planning and budgetary measures. The Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill is undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny. This Bill will establish a regulatory framework for licensing home support providers. The aim is to ensure that all service users receive high-quality care in accordance with HIQA national standards.

While not a priority piece of legislation, work is continuing on The Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill. This Bill will introduce a licensing requirement for all hospitals, public and private, and certain designated high-risk activities in the community.

Housing and Property

Pre-legislative scrutiny of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No.2) Bill has been completed. This Bill will amend the Housing Acts to provide for more social housing, the regulation of Approved Housing Bodies and amendments to the Building Controls Acts. Heads have been approved for the Remediation of Defects in Apartments and Duplexes Bill, which aims to establish a remediation scheme for apartments and duplexes that were built between 1991 and 2013, and which have fire safety, structural safety and water ingress defects. In conjunction with this, heads are in preparation for the Building Standards Regulatory Authority Bill. The Bill aims to provide for the establishment of a Building Standards Regulatory Authority. The purpose of the Authority is to strengthen the oversight role of the State in the design and construction of buildings and the marketing and use of construction products.

Policing and Defence

Drafting is ongoing with the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill. This Bill will codify police powers of search, arrest, and detention and procedural rights of suspects and take into account developments in modern technology. Additionally, in fulfilment of the Government’s objective of making the streets safe for people, pre-legislative scrutiny of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill has concluded. This controversial Bill will allow for the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) for serious offences.

Notably, and in conjunction with the aim of making the streets safe for people, heads of the Life Sentences Bill have been approved. This Bill will allow judges to impose a minimum sentence to be served before parole can be considered.

Conclusion

The Autumn Legislative Programme 2024 reflects a continuation by the Government of priorities such as healthcare, housing, and policing and defence, which were previously addressed in the Summer and Spring Legislative Programmes.

For more information on the Autumn Legislative Programme, contact a member of our Public, Regulatory and Investigations team.

The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other advice.