merrion street

Government Chief Whip, Paul Kehoe, today announced the Legislative Programme for the Spring Parliamentary session of 2012.

Speaking following this morning’s cabinet meeting Minister Kehoe said:

In the next Dáil term the Government’s main focus must be on economic recovery and job creation and this will see the publication of legislation concerning the implementation of the Budget, measures to help people with personal debt and support for businesses.

Progress will also continue to be made in a number of other areas with the introduction of legislation on Civil Defence reform, child protection, reform of the Health services, updating the law on mental capacity, new animal welfare laws and the removal of obsolete Acts passed before independence in 1922 from the Statute book. Preparations are also underway for referendums on Children’s Rights and the Abolition of the Seanad.

Since the Government took office 46 Bills have been published and 35 Acts of the Oireachtas passed.