Every pre-legislative scrutiny by the Justice Committee
Each General Scheme the committee received in the 34th Dáil (May 2025 to 1 October 2026), with the dates of each step from page 1 and links to the public documents. Steps without a published date are left out. [copy] opens the copy saved with this site.
Overview
| Scheme | Route | Outside input | Referral → report (days) | Report → Bill (days) | Outcome by 1 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal Justice (Violation of EU Restrictive Measures) Bill 2025 | Department briefing only (letter-report) | No | ≤137 | — | No Bill published by 1 October 2026. On the Government's priority publication list for autumn 2026. |
| Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2025 ("Valerie's Law") | Invited submissions + one public hearing | Yes: 9 written submissions, 1 witness | 128 | 233 | Enacted as the Guardianship of Infants and Child Care (Amendment) Act 2026 (No. 30). |
| Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 | Invited submissions + one public hearing | Yes: 15 written submissions, 7 witnesses | *191 | 57 | Enacted as the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 (No. 34). |
| International Protection Bill 2025 | Open public call + invited submissions + two public hearings | Yes: 13 written submissions, 10 organisations at hearings | *216 | 52 | Enacted as the International Protection Act 2026 (No. 9). |
| Children (Amendment) Bill 2024 | Department briefing + invited submissions + one public hearing | Yes: 7 written submissions, 6 witnesses | *561 | — | No Bill published by 1 October 2026. Not on the priority lists for autumn 2026. |
| National Cyber Security Bill 2024 | Department briefing + invited submissions + one public hearing | Yes: 4 written submissions, 4 witnesses | 231 | — | No Bill published by 1 October 2026. On the priority publication list for autumn 2026 ("Work is ongoing"). |
| Criminal Justice (International Cooperation Office) Bill 2025 | Department briefing + two requested submissions (letter-report) | Yes, limited: 2 requested written submissions, no hearing | *189 | 169 | Enacted, under a wider title, as the Criminal Justice (International Cooperation on Electronic Evidence and Other Matters) Act 2026 (No. 21). |
| Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and International Instruments) Bill 2025 | Invited submissions + one public hearing | Yes: 10 written submissions, 5 witnesses | 171 | 45 | The domestic violence register part was split off and enacted as the Domestic Violence Judgments Register Act 2026 (No. 29). The rest is on the priority drafting list for autumn 2026. |
| Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2026 | Department briefing only (letter-report) | No | ≤41 | — | No Bill published by 1 October 2026. On the priority publication list for autumn 2026. |
| Civil Reform Bill 2025 | Invited submissions + one public hearing | Yes: 21 written submissions, 6 witnesses | 168 | — | No Bill published by 1 October 2026. The Minister said it would be published in the third quarter of 2026. |
| Legacy of the Troubles Bill 2026 | Public hearing (in progress) | Yes: 7 organisations at the first hearing | — | — | PLS in progress on 1 October 2026. |
| Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 | Waiver | No | — | — | Enacted |
| International Co-operation (Omagh Bombing Inquiry) Bill 2026 | Waiver | No | — | — | Enacted |
Days are calendar days, recesses included. "Outside input" means evidence from anyone other than the Department. Where the date the scheme reached the committee is not published, "Referral → report" is counted from the date the Government approved or published the General Scheme (marked *), which overstates the committee's time. ≤ means only the month of approval is known, so the count starts on the 1st of that month. The Children (Amendment) scheme was approved by the previous Government in July 2024, so its count is especially long.
Criminal Justice (Violation of EU Restrictive Measures) Bill 2025
Route: Department briefing only (letter-report). Outcome: No Bill published by 1 October 2026. On the Government's priority publication list for autumn 2026.
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Jul 2025 | 4. Department briefing | Public briefing by Department officials, taken together with the Children (Amendment) scheme. Press release issued the day before. | transcript, 15 Jul 2025 [copy] press release, 14 Jul 2025 [copy] minutes in the Annual Report 2025 [copy] | |
| 16 Jul 2025 | 10. Report published | Letter-report to the Minister (report 34/JC/01, reference JC/7/1/E): "The Committee has now concluded PLS". No recommendations. The Department's written briefing is attached. | 1 | letter-report [copy] |
Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2025 ("Valerie's Law")
Route: Invited submissions + one public hearing. Outcome: Enacted as the Guardianship of Infants and Child Care (Amendment) Act 2026 (No. 30).
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Mar 2025 | 1. Government approval | Government approves the General Scheme. The report gives 31 March 2025; the Minister's answers say "On 1 April 2025, I secured Government approval for the referral". | report, chapter 1 [copy] PQ 30622/25 [copy] | |
| 19 May 2025 | 2. Referral | Scheme referred to the committee ("referred … for pre-legislative scrutiny on 19 May"). | 49 | PQ 30622/25, 10 Jun 2025 [copy] |
| 27 May 2025 | 4. Department briefing | Department briefing in private. The published minutes for that day show only "ITEM DISCUSSED IN PRIVATE", but the list of meetings in the same Annual Report names it as "Briefing from the Department on the General Scheme of the Guardianship (Amendment) Bill" and lists five officials. The public transcript covers only the election of the Vice-Chair. | 8 | Annual Report 2025, Appendix 3 and minutes [copy] public part of the transcript [copy] |
| 1 Jul 2025 | 8. Public hearing | Public hearing with one witness, Mr David French, brother of Valerie French Kilroy. Two Department officials attend as advisers. Press release the day before. | 35 | transcript, 1 Jul 2025 [copy] press release, 30 Jun 2025 [copy] |
| 24 Sep 2025 | 10. Report published | Report published (34/JC/03) with 30 recommendations. The written submissions are published the same day. | 85 | report [copy] press release [copy] |
| 15 May 2026 | 12. Bill published | Bill No. 53 of 2026 published in the Dáil. | 233 | Bill page Bill as initiated [copy] Explanatory Memorandum [copy] |
| 21 May 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Dáil Second Stage. Deputy Máire Devine: the Bill "provides for a review process in case of a later acquittal" as the report asked, but on notice parties it "falls short of the committee's report recommendation". | 6 | Dáil debate, 21 May 2026 [copy] |
| 21 Jul 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Signed into law as Act No. 30 of 2026. | 61 | Act [copy] |
Opening statements at the hearing (1)
Written submissions published by the committee (10 documents)
- Submission 1, David French [copy]
- Submission 2, David French [copy]
- Submission, Barnardos [copy]
- Submission, Dr. Brian Tobin [copy]
- Submission, Dr. Carol Coulter [copy]
- Submission, The Irish Penal Reform Trust [copy]
- Submission, The Mental Health Commission [copy]
- Submission, The Ombudsman for Children's Office [copy]
- Submission, Tusla [copy]
- Submission, Women’s Aid [copy]
Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025
Route: Invited submissions + one public hearing. Outcome: Enacted as the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 (No. 34).
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 May 2025 | 1. Government approval | Government approves and publishes the General Scheme (51 Heads in 14 Parts). | report, chapter 1 [copy] PQ 71491/25 [copy] | |
| 28 May 2025 | 5. Call for submissions | Clerk writes to chosen organisations inviting submissions. Known only because the Courts Service reply (19 June 2025, reference JC/7/1/C/1) begins "I refer to your letter of 28th May 2025". | 22 | Courts Service submission [copy] |
| 30 Sep 2025 | 8. Public hearing | Public hearing with seven witnesses, one of them a private individual (Hazel Behan). Department officials attend as observers. No press release found for this hearing. The Chair noted that some members "have corresponded with the committee" about the scheme's wide scope; that correspondence is not published. | 125 | transcript, 30 Sep 2025 [copy] minutes in the Annual Report 2025 [copy] |
| 13 Nov 2025 | 10. Report published | Report published (34/JC/04) with 17 recommendations, along with 15 written submissions. | 44 | report [copy] press release [copy] |
| 3 Dec 2025 | 11. Government response | L&RS publishes a briefing paper on Head 19 (counselling records). | 20 | L&RS briefing paper [copy] |
| 16 Dec 2025 | 11. Government response | Government approves publication of the Bill. | 13 | PQ 71491/25 [copy] |
| 18 Dec 2025 | 11. Government response | Minister declines the committee's main recommendation (a complete ban on using counselling records in sexual offence trials), citing advice from the Attorney General. | 2 | PQ 73739/25 [copy] |
| 9 Jan 2026 | 12. Bill published | Bill No. 1 of 2026 published. Several Heads that were scrutinised (for example remote hearings and face coverings) are left out, to be added later as Committee Stage amendments. | 22 | Bill page Bill as initiated [copy] Explanatory Memorandum [copy] |
| 22 Jan 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Dáil Second Stage. Minister: "I considered all the recommendations carefully." | 13 | Dáil debate, 22 Jan 2026 [copy] |
| 4 Feb 2026 | 11. Government response | L&RS Bill Digest compares the Bill with all 17 recommendations: 0 accepted, 0 partly, 2 not accepted, 15 "not implemented … but additional considerations are present". | 13 | Bill Digest, Table 2 [copy] |
| 19 May 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Select Committee Stage. Chair: "under the current Government, the pre-legislative scrutiny process is a scam"; the committee "tried but was ultimately unable to go through each part" of the scheme. Members object to new provisions on the Defence Forces that were not in the scheme (Deputy Alan Kelly: "did not arise in any pre-legislative scrutiny"). | 104 | Select Committee transcript, 19 May 2026 [copy] |
| 23 Jul 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Signed into law as Act No. 34 of 2026, with "Defence" added to its title. | 65 | Act [copy] |
Opening statements at the hearing (7)
- Opening statement, Angela Denning, Chief Executive Officer, The Court Services [copy]
- Opening statement, Aoife O'Leary BL, Chair of the Criminal State Bar Committee, The Bar of Ireland [copy]
- Opening statement, Deirdre Kenny, Chief Executive Officer, One in Four Ireland [copy]
- Opening statement, Dr. Susan Leahy, Academic, University of Limerick [copy]
- Opening statement, Hazel Behan, Private Individual [copy]
- Opening statement, Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission [copy]
- Opening statement, Saoirse Brady, Executive Director, Irish Penal Reform Trust [copy]
Written submissions published by the committee (15 documents)
- Submission, Dr. Susan Leahy [copy]
- Submission, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) [copy]
- Submission, Hazel Behan [copy]
- Submission, Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) [copy]
- Submission, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) [copy]
- Submission, Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) [copy]
- Submission, Law Society [copy]
- Submission, Lisa Murray and Paula Doyle [copy]
- Submission, National Women's Council of Ireland (NWCI) [copy]
- Submission, One in Four [copy]
- Submission, Rape Crisis Ireland [copy]
- Submission, Senator Lynn Ruane [copy]
- Submission, The Bar of Ireland [copy]
- Submission, The Courts Service [copy]
- Submission, Vivian Geiran [copy]
International Protection Bill 2025
Route: Open public call + invited submissions + two public hearings. Outcome: Enacted as the International Protection Act 2026 (No. 9).
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Apr 2025 | 1. Government approval | Government approves the General Scheme, which is published. | General Scheme [copy] PQ 68503/25 [copy] | |
| 22 May 2025 | 5. Call for submissions | Invitation letters sent to chosen organisations and experts. Known from David Leonard BL's submission ("the Committee's invitation of 22 May 2025"). | 23 | David Leonard BL submission [copy] |
| 24 May 2025 | 5. Call for submissions | Open public call for submissions from "interested groups or individuals", on a "Head by Head" basis. The only open call by this committee so far. | 2 | public consultation page [copy] |
| 5 Jun 2025 | 6. Submissions | Public call closes at 12 noon. The number of submissions received is not published; 13 were published later. | 12 | none |
| 14 Oct 2025 | 8. Public hearing | First public hearing: Tusla, Doras, IHREC, Ombudsman for Children's Office. Department officials attend as observers. | 131 | transcript, 14 Oct 2025 [copy] press release 1 [copy] press release 2 [copy] |
| 21 Oct 2025 | 8. Public hearing | Second public hearing: Children's Rights Alliance, UNHCR, Safetynet, Nasc, Bar of Ireland, Irish Refugee Council. "We have an engagement with a number of stakeholders who have made written submissions." | 7 | transcript, 21 Oct 2025 [copy] press release [copy] |
| 1 Dec 2025 | 10. Report published | Report published with 92 recommendations, along with 13 written submissions. No press release found. | 41 | report [copy] |
| 4 Dec 2025 | 11. Government response | Minister: report received; he will seek approval to publish the Bill "in the coming weeks". | 3 | PQ 68503/25 [copy] |
| 13 Jan 2026 | 11. Government response | Cabinet approves publication of the Bill. | 40 | L&RS Bill Digest [copy] |
| 22 Jan 2026 | 12. Bill published | Bill No. 6 of 2026 published. | 9 | Bill page Bill as initiated [copy] Explanatory Memorandum [copy] |
| 28 Jan 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Dáil Second Stage. The Minister addresses the committee's first recommendation (reconsider opting in to most of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact) and rejects it. | 6 | Dáil debate, 28 Jan 2026 [copy] |
| 27 Feb 2026 | 11. Government response | L&RS Bill Digest compares the Bill with all 92 recommendations: 11 accepted, 13 consistent or unclear, 20 not accepted, 48 "not implemented … but additional considerations are present". The Department's comment on each is printed. | 30 | Bill Digest, Table 6 [copy] |
| 22 Apr 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Signed into law as Act No. 9 of 2026. | 54 | Act [copy] |
Opening statements at the hearing (10)
- Opening statement, Donnah Vuma, Migrant Victim Support Programme Coordinator, Doras [copy]
- Opening statement, Dr. Tricia Keilthy, Head of Policy, Ombudsman for Children’s Office [copy]
- Opening statement, Gerry Hone, Interim Director of Services and Integration, Tusla [copy]
- Opening statement, Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission [copy]
- Opening statement, Fiona Hurley, CEO, Nasc [copy]
- Opening statement, Maria Hennessy, Government Liaison Officer, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ireland [copy]
- Opening statement, Nick Henderson, CEO, Irish Refugee Council [copy]
- Opening statement, Nicola Perry, CEO, Safetynet Primary Care [copy]
- Opening statement, Patricia Brazil SC, The Bar of Ireland [copy]
- Opening statement, Tanya Ward, CEO, Children’s Rights Alliance [copy]
Written submissions published by the committee (13 documents)
- Submission, Children's Rights Alliance [copy]
- Submission, David Leonard BL [copy]
- Submission, Doras [copy]
- Submission, Enda O’Neill and Maria Hennessy, UNHCR [copy]
- Submission, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission [copy]
- Submission, Irish Red Cross [copy]
- Submission, Irish Refugee Council [copy]
- Submission, Law Society of Ireland [copy]
- Submission, Nasc [copy]
- Submission, Safetynet Primary Care [copy]
- Submission, The Bar of Ireland [copy]
- Submission, The Ombudsman for Children's Office [copy]
- Submission, Tusla [copy]
Children (Amendment) Bill 2024
Route: Department briefing + invited submissions + one public hearing. Outcome: No Bill published by 1 October 2026. Not on the priority lists for autumn 2026.
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jul 2024 | 1. Government approval | Government (previous Dáil) approves the General Scheme. | report, section 2.1 [copy] | |
| 11 Oct 2024 | 2. Referral | Scheme referred to the Justice Committee of the 33rd Dáil. That PLS was not finished before the Dáil was dissolved in November 2024. | 94 | report, section 2.1 [copy] |
| 15 Jul 2025 | 4. Department briefing | Public Department briefing, taken together with the Restrictive Measures scheme. Chair: "I think we will have a bit of work to do in pre-legislative scrutiny on that." | 277 | transcript, 15 Jul 2025 [copy] press release, 14 Jul 2025 [copy] |
| 5 Aug 2025 | 6. Submissions | Earliest dated submission (Dr Ian Marder, "grateful for the invitation"). The invitation date is not published. | 21 | Marder submission [copy] |
| 4 Nov 2025 | 8. Public hearing | Public hearing with six witnesses, including one individual. Press release the day before. | 91 | transcript, 4 Nov 2025 [copy] press release [copy] |
| 21 Jan 2026 | 10. Report published | Report published with 18 recommendations, along with 7 written submissions. The press release came two days later. | 78 | report [copy] press release, 23 Jan 2026 [copy] |
Opening statements at the hearing (6)
- Opening Statement, Amanda Connolly, Member of the Criminal Law Committee of the Law Society of Ireland and the incoming Vice-Chair of that Committee [copy]
- Opening Statement, Dr. Ian D. Marder, Associate Professor in Criminology, School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University [copy]
- Opening Statement, Louise Forde, Senior Lecturer in Law, Brunel University of London [copy]
- Opening Statement, Niamh McCormack, Legal Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Irish Penal Reform Trust [copy]
- Opening Statement, Valerie McAllorum Ryan, Individual [copy]
- Opening statement, Claire Mc Evoy, et al., Irish Council for Civil Liberties [copy]
Written submissions published by the committee (7 documents)
National Cyber Security Bill 2024
Route: Department briefing + invited submissions + one public hearing. Outcome: No Bill published by 1 October 2026. On the priority publication list for autumn 2026 ("Work is ongoing").
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jul 2024 | 1. Government approval | Government (previous Dáil) approves the General Scheme. It was first sent to the Transport and Communications committee, which stopped work in November 2024 and passed the submissions it had received to the Minister of State. | report, section 2.1 [copy] | |
| 2 Jul 2025 | 2. Referral | Committee "requested to undertake pre-legislative scrutiny". | 343 | report, section 2.1 [copy] |
| 15 Jul 2025 | 4. Department briefing | Public Department briefing. Chair: "I suspect we will be in touch over the coming period as the committee discusses its next approach to the pre-legislative scrutiny." | 13 | transcript, 15 Jul 2025 [copy] press release, 14 Jul 2025 [copy] |
| 16 Jul 2025 | 5. Call for submissions | Committee emails An Garda Síochána asking for a written submission, with a deadline of "12 p.m. Thursday, 7th August 2025". Known only because Garda HQ attached the email chain to its published submission. | 1 | Garda submission [copy] |
| 7 Aug 2025 | 6. Submissions | Deadline for written submissions (during the summer recess). | 22 | Garda submission [copy] |
| 25 Nov 2025 | 8. Public hearing | Public hearing: Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, Philip Lee LLP, Digital Rights Ireland with ICCL, Ibec. No press release found for this hearing. | 110 | transcript, 25 Nov 2025 [copy] minutes in the Annual Report 2025 [copy] |
| 18 Feb 2026 | 10. Report published | Report published with 16 recommendations, along with 4 written submissions. No press release found. | 85 | report [copy] |
| 14 May 2026 | 11. Government response | Minister: the report "is currently being considered by my Department"; drafting "at a very advanced stage". | 85 | PQ 35774/26 [copy] |
Opening statements at the hearing (4)
- Opening statement, Detective Chief Superintendent, Barry Walsh, Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, An Garda Síochána [copy]
- Opening statement, Dr. TJ McIntyre, Chair of Digital Rights Ireland, Digital Rights Ireland (jointly with Irish Council for Civil Liberties) [copy]
- Opening statement, Erik O’Donovan, Head of Digital Economy Policy, Ibec [copy]
- Opening statement, Mr Sean McElligott, Partner, Philip Lee LLP [copy]
Written submissions published by the committee (4 documents)
Criminal Justice (International Cooperation Office) Bill 2025
Route: Department briefing + two requested submissions (letter-report). Outcome: Enacted, under a wider title, as the Criminal Justice (International Cooperation on Electronic Evidence and Other Matters) Act 2026 (No. 21).
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jun 2025 | 1. Government approval | General Scheme (dated 3 June 2025, when the Government approved priority drafting) is published. | L&RS Bill Digest [copy] | |
| 9 Dec 2025 | 4. Department briefing | Public Department briefing. Afterwards the committee went into private session "to consider the matter further in order communicate its decision to the Minister as soon as possible". | 181 | transcript, 9 Dec 2025 [copy] minutes in the Annual Report 2025 [copy] |
| 17 Dec 2025 | 10. Report published | Letter-report (34/JC/06, reference JC/7/1/G) listing the committee's concerns, with both submissions attached. No numbered recommendations. L&RS later wrote that the committee "indicated its preference was to conduct further hearings but had to conclude its scrutiny due to the Minister's intention to publish the Bill in early 2026". | 8 | letter-report [copy] L&RS Bill Digest [copy] |
| 4 Jun 2026 | 12. Bill published | Bill No. 59 of 2026 published, now covering "Electronic Evidence and Other Matters". | 169 | Bill page Bill as initiated [copy] Explanatory Memorandum [copy] |
| 11 Jun 2026 | 11. Government response | Department sends L&RS its comments on each concern in the letter-report (date stated in the Digest). | 7 | Bill Digest, Table 2 [copy] |
| 16 Jun 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Dáil Second Stage. Committee and Report Stages follow the next day. Deputy Mark Ward: the Bill came "without the proper pre-legislative scrutiny that was needed". | 5 | Dáil debate, 16 Jun 2026 [copy] Dáil debate, 17 Jun 2026 [copy] |
| 15 Jul 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Signed into law as Act No. 21 of 2026. | 29 | Act [copy] |
Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and International Instruments) Bill 2025
Route: Invited submissions + one public hearing. Outcome: The domestic violence register part was split off and enacted as the Domestic Violence Judgments Register Act 2026 (No. 29). The rest is on the priority drafting list for autumn 2026.
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Oct 2025 | 1. Government approval | Government approves the General Scheme (12 Heads). The report says "the Government of the 33rd Dáil"; that is a mistake in the report, since the 33rd Dáil ended in November 2024. | General Scheme [copy] report, section 2.1 [copy] | |
| 11 Nov 2025 | 2. Referral | Committee "requested to undertake pre-legislative scrutiny". | 21 | report, section 2.1 [copy] |
| 20 Jan 2026 | 8. Public hearing | Public hearing: Jason Poole (individual), Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service, Women's Aid, Law Society, Alcohol Action Ireland. Chair: other submissions "we will deal with … in our private session". | 70 | transcript, 20 Jan 2026 [copy] press release, 19 Jan 2026 [copy] |
| 30 Apr 2026 | 10. Report published | Ten written submissions published. | 100 | none |
| 1 May 2026 | 10. Report published | Report published with 32 recommendations. No press release found. | 1 | report [copy] |
| 15 Jun 2026 | 12. Bill published | Domestic Violence Judgments Register Bill 2026 (No. 62) published in the Seanad. | 45 | Bill page Bill as initiated [copy] Explanatory Memorandum [copy] |
| 25 Jun 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Seanad Committee Stage. Minister: "I expanded the scope of the Bill on foot of those recommendations", adding harassment, stalking and sharing intimate images without consent; he refused to add summary offences. | 10 | Seanad debate, 25 Jun 2026 [copy] |
| 21 Jul 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Signed into law as Act No. 29 of 2026. | 26 | Act [copy] |
Opening statements at the hearing (5)
- Opening statement, Anne Clarke, CEO, Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service [copy]
- Opening statement, Cairbre Finan, State Solicitor for Kildare North and West, and member of the Law Society of Ireland’s Criminal Law Committee, Law Society of Ireland [copy]
- Opening statement, Dr. Sheila Gilheany, CEO, Alcohol Action Ireland [copy]
- Opening statement, Jason Poole, Individual, N/A [copy]
- Opening statement, Sarah Benson, CEO, Women’s Aid [copy]
Written submissions published by the committee (10 documents)
- Submission, Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) [copy]
- Submission, Data Protection Commission (DPC) [copy]
- Submission, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) [copy]
- Submission, Jason Poole [copy]
- Submission, Longford Women’s Link (LWL) [copy]
- Submission, Offaly Domestic Violence Support Services (ODVSS) [copy]
- Submission, Rape Crisis Ireland (RCI) [copy]
- Submission, Safe Ireland [copy]
- Submission, The Law Society of Ireland [copy]
- Submission, Women’s Aid [copy]
Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill 2026
Route: Department briefing only (letter-report). Outcome: No Bill published by 1 October 2026. On the priority publication list for autumn 2026.
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2026 | 4. Department briefing | Public Department briefing. Press release the day before. | transcript, 10 Feb 2026 [copy] press release, 9 Feb 2026 [copy] | |
| 11 Feb 2026 | 10. Report published | Letter-report (reference JC/7/1/L): "The Committee has now concluded PLS". No recommendations; the Department's briefing is attached. | 1 | letter-report [copy] |
Civil Reform Bill 2025
Route: Invited submissions + one public hearing. Outcome: No Bill published by 1 October 2026. The Minister said it would be published in the third quarter of 2026.
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec 2025 | 1. Government approval | Government approves the General Scheme (39 Heads). | report, section 2.1 [copy] PQ 32509/26 [copy] | |
| 7 Jan 2026 | 2. Referral | Committee "requested to undertake pre-legislative scrutiny". | 22 | report, section 2.1 [copy] |
| 5 Feb 2026 | 6. Submissions | Deadline for written submissions, as quoted by McCarthy and Co. LLP ("a deadline of 5 February 2026"). | 29 | McCarthy and Co. submission [copy] Uisce Éireann reply, 5 Feb 2026 [copy] |
| 24 Mar 2026 | 8. Public hearing | Public hearing with six witnesses; the press release was issued the same day. At the end, the Department said "the Minister has directed that the proposals to expand the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court are to be removed from the Bill" (quoted in the report, recommendation 34). | 47 | transcript, 24 Mar 2026 [copy] press release, 24 Mar 2026 [copy] |
| 6 May 2026 | 11. Government response | Minister confirms the Circuit Court judicial review proposal is dropped; Bill planned for the third quarter of 2026. | 43 | PQ 32509/26 [copy] |
| 24 Jun 2026 | 10. Report published | Report published with 45 recommendations, along with 21 written submissions. No press release found. | 49 | report [copy] |
Opening statements at the hearing (6)
- Opening statement, Conor O’Connell, Director Housing, Planning and Development Services, Construction Industry Federation [copy]
- Opening statement, Dr. Orla Kelleher, Assistant Professor in Environmental and Climate Change Law, Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology [copy]
- Opening statement, Eilis Barry, Chief Executive, FLAC [copy]
- Opening statement, Joan Crawford, Chief Executive Officer, Legal Aid Board [copy]
- Opening statement, Katie Mannion, Managing Solicitor, Irish Refugee Council [copy]
- Opening statement, Seamus Clarke SC, Vice Chair of the Council of the Bar of Ireland, The Bar of Ireland [copy]
Written submissions published by the committee (21 documents)
- Submission, Commercial Litigation Association of Ireland [copy]
- Submission, Community Law and Mediation [copy]
- Submission, Construction Industry Federation [copy]
- Submission, Dr. Orla Kelleher, Maynooth University [copy]
- Submission, Environmental Law Ireland [copy]
- Submission, Fred Logue, Solicitor [copy]
- Submission, Free Legal Advice Centers [copy]
- Submission, IBEC [copy]
- Submission, Irish Immigration Lawyers Association [copy]
- Submission, Irish Refugee Council [copy]
- Submission, Legal Aid Board [copy]
- Submission, McCarthy and Co. LLP [copy]
- Submission, Mercy Law Resource Centre [copy]
- Submission, National Transport Authority [copy]
- Submission, Professor Paul Daly, Chair in Administrative Law and Governance, University of Ottawa [copy]
- Submission, Supermac's [copy]
- Submission, The Bar of Ireland [copy]
- Submission, The Law Society of Ireland [copy]
- Submission, Trim Athboy and District Angling Association [copy]
- Submission, UNHCR Ireland [copy]
- Submission, Uisce Éireann [copy]
Legacy of the Troubles Bill 2026
Route: Public hearing (in progress). Outcome: PLS in progress on 1 October 2026.
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2026 | 8. Public hearing | Public hearing with seven organisations; the press release was issued the same day. The transcript was not yet published on 1 October 2026. | press release, 29 Sep 2026 [copy] committee debates page |
Opening statements at the hearing (7)
- Opening statement, Alan Brecknell, Advocacy Support Worker, The Pat Finucane Centre [copy]
- Opening statement, Daniel Holder, Director, Committee on the Administration of Justice [copy]
- Opening statement, David Murphy, Deputy Commissioner, Data Protection Commission [copy]
- Opening statement, Fiona Crowley, Director of Law and Policy, Amnesty International Ireland jointly with Gráinne Teggart, Deputy Director, Northern Ireland, Amnesty International UK [copy]
- Opening statement, Joe O'Brien, Executive Director, Irish Council for Civil Liberties [copy]
- Opening statement, Kathleen Leader SC, The Bar of Ireland [copy]
- Opening statement, Mark Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Relatives for Justice [copy]
Schemes where PLS was waived
In these two cases the Minister asked the committee to skip PLS and the committee agreed (SO 181(4)). There was no briefing, no submissions and no report. The waiver letters were not published; the public learned of the waivers from the Minister's Second Stage speeches.
Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 2025 | 12. Bill published | Bill No. 64 of 2025 published. | Bill page Explanatory Memorandum [copy] | |
| 6 Nov 2025 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Dáil Second Stage, where the Minister thanks the Chair "for the fact that the committee has agreed to waive pre-legislative scrutiny". | 6 | Dáil debate, 6 Nov 2025 [copy] |
| 10 Dec 2025 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Signed into law as Act No. 13 of 2025. | 34 | Act [copy] |
International Co-operation (Omagh Bombing Inquiry) Bill 2026
| Date | Step | What happened | Days since previous step | Public record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Mar 2026 | 12. Bill published | Bill No. 28 of 2026 published. | Bill page Explanatory Memorandum [copy] | |
| 24 Mar 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Dáil Second Stage. Minister thanks the committee "for the decision to grant my request for a waiver". Chair: the decision "might not have been the same had members realised there was going to be an issue in terms of engagement with the families". Deputy Alan Kelly: "We did not do pre-legislative scrutiny as a committee; maybe that was a mistake." | 11 | Dáil debate, 24 Mar 2026 [copy] |
| 3 Jun 2026 | 13. Bill in the Houses | Signed into law as Act No. 12 of 2026. | 71 | Act [copy] |
Not counted here
- Bills scrutinised by the previous committee: Proceeds of Crime 2025, Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) 2025, Garda Síochána (Powers) 2026.
- SLAPP Bill 2026: no public record of PLS or a waiver by this committee.
- Next: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, due to go to the committee (Dáil, 30 Sep 2026 [copy]).