Find legislation: Proposed legislation (IRL)

Proposed legislation refers to Bills. If they make it past 5 stages, Bills become Acts. The following is an outline of the 5 stages a Bill goes through as described in A brief guide to the legislative process on the website of the Houses of the Oireachtas:

• First stage: Bill is introduced | initiated in either the Dáil or the Seanad
• Second stage discusses "whether the law should be amended as broadly envisaged in the Bill" (debate in the House)
• Third stage = Committee stage: "detailed examination and improvement of what is proposed" (at committee level)
• Fourth stage = Report stage: "a review of changes made at third stage" (debate)
• Fifth stage = Final stage: Debate in the House as to "whether the Bill, in its current form, would constitute good law"
  • If a Bill passes all of the above stages, it is sent to the other House (Dáil | Seanad) for review where amendments can be proposed. The Bill is then sent back to the House where it originated and any such amendments are accepted | rejected | amended etc.
  • A Bill becomes law on the day it is signed by the President, unless another commencement order applies.

Full text of Acts of the Oireachtas are available on the website of the Houses of the Oireachtas with a link to the Bill each one initiated from, showing the stages the Bill came through before enactment. Go to Bills & acts.

Full text of debates - Dáil- (1919-), Seanad- (1922-), and Committee- (1924-) are also available on the Oireachtas website. Go to Debates. Search debates by year on the Oireachtas website, or by keyword on kildarestreet.com.

The Oireachtas Library & Research Service prepares a number of periodical research publications designed for Members of the Oireachtas to inform debate in the Houses. These publications are available online and provide a general summary of developments and an excellent overview of current topics. See: Research and analysis.

See chapter 2.3.5 of the OSCOLA Ireland guide (2nd ed.) for rules on citing bills (Pg. 18-19), or see the quick reference guide.

Alternatively, see chapter 2.4.5 of the OSCOLA guide (4th ed.) (Pg. 25)

(Search debates (2004-) and more by keyword)