I propose to take Questions Nos. 722 to 727, inclusive, together.

On 16 December 2025, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Civil Reform Bill 2025. The General Scheme has been submitted for pre legislative scrutiny, and I understand the Justice Committee is consider the general scheme on Tuesday 24 March.

Subject to drafting, it is intended to publish the Bill in Quarter 3 2026 and, in line with commitments in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, and subject to Oireachtas approval, have the Bill enacted no later than Quarter 2 2027. An explanatory memorandum will be published to accompany the Bill.

The Civil Reform Bill is the legislative implementation vehicle for the Kelly Report recommendations. As part of the Kelly Review process, stakeholder consultation was undertaken through an open call for submissions. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission furnished a submission to the Review. The General Scheme was the subject of a presentation and discussion at the legal costs module of the Cost of Business Advisory Forum, chaired by Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. It is intended to conduct further stakeholder engagement in advance of publication of the Bill.

The Review process also considered Courts Service data available relating to caseloads in various areas of litigation including judicial review. Further review of more recent caseload data available relating to judicial review and other areas has been undertaken as the General Scheme was developed.

In certain areas the scheme goes beyond the Kelly Report recommendations, taking into account the time passed since the recommendations were reported in 2020 and the evolving requirements for reform of civil procedures, court jurisdiction and of judicial review, particularly in the context of accelerating infrastructure measures and forthcoming changes relating to asylum and migration.

The Department is compliant with its obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014.

Amongst a range of improvements to civil law procedures, the Bill will codify the existing law on judicial review, placing it on a statutory basis. Key reforms should ensure that the system cannot be misused on purely technical grounds, costs are reduced where possible and litigants have sufficient standing to properly challenge decisions.

Given the significant challenges currently facing our State in terms of housing shortages, energy deficits, inadequate water supplies and climate changes, all of which are exacerbated by the demands of a rising population, we can no longer delay on reform of the judicial review system.

I am confident that the Civil Reform Bill will remove weaknesses in the current Judicial Review regime, eliminate impediments to progress and deliver reform for the public benefit. I am also confident that measures in the Bill preserve the right of the citizen to ensure that public bodies act lawfully and are accountable for their decisions.

Another major area of reform in the Bill is in relation to Discovery, which will be replaced with a system of Production of Documents focused on those documents which parties intend to, or are reasonably likely to, rely on at trial. The Kelly Report found that economically stronger parties frequently weaponised the current discovery regime to effectively impede the less well-resourced party in the conduct of proceedings. The reforms I am introducing should minimise both delay and cost in the conduct of civil litigation in the State and achieve greater equality between parties.

The proposed Bill, in implementing the recommendations of the Kelly Report, will also provide for a suite of civil reform measures including the creation of case conduct principles, a presumption against granting of adjournments, limiting the term of a Lis Pendens; deemed discontinuance of civil actions and a requirement for plaintiffs in personal injuries actions to distinguish between pre-existing injuries and those which are the subject of the claim.

Further, the Bill will amend the general monetary jurisdiction of the District Court from €15,000 to €20,000, the Circuit Court generally from €75,000 to €100,000 and for Personal Injuries proceedings from €60,000 to €100,000. These changes will result in more non-complex cases being heard in lower courts, in particular Personal Injuries cases, and should reduce legal costs.