Government Chief Whip, Seán Kyne TD has today published the Government’s new legislation programme which contains 30 new bills that will be progressed by the summer recess.
The legislation programme follows on from the special programme launched in January which focused on Brexit. The new programme, which has been approved by Cabinet today, has been drawn up by the Chief Whip, following consultation with the Attorney General, and other Government departments.
The priority list comprises legislation from 13 Government departments and focuses on areas including housing, climate action and the environment, healthcare, social welfare, gender equality, employment and judicial matters. This includes legislation that will:
- Establish the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement as a stand-alone agency
- Provide for a Parent and Student Charter in every school
- Put the Land Development Agency on a legislative footing
- Extend jobseekers benefit to the self-employed
- Introduce mandatory open disclosure in our health service
- Bring in mandatory reporting for companies in relation to the gender pay gap
Commented Minister Kyne:
Between now and the Dáil recess in mid-July we will work on a range of bills that will meaningfully and positively impact on citizens.
With Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Richard Bruton, we will progress legislation that will fund climate change measures and support public service broadcasting in the local and independent media sectors. We will also introduce and progress legislation to ban micro-bead plastics which are so detrimental to our environment and introduce legislation to underpin the National Broadband Plan.
We will support job creation through legislation from Minister for Business, Enterprise, and Innovation, Heather Humphreys that will empower the IDA to further develop critical industrial and commercial facilities in regional locations.
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty will continue the expansion of social welfare supports for self-employed people with the new Social Welfare and Pensions Bill while also paving the way for other related Budget 2019 measures.
Other important reforms which we will work on during this Dáil session include the introduction of mandatory open disclosure in terms of patient safety, the widening of HIQA’s remit, and the introduction of a mandatory obligation on businesses to report gender pay differences.
As Minister for the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands I’m acutely aware of the importance of the Official Languages Bill for Irish speakers and Gaeltacht communities and I am committed to the publication of this bill and its introduction in the Dáil during this session.
I would like to thank the drafters and other staff in the Office of Parliamentary Counsel and the Office of the Attorney General for their ongoing work and, in particular, on the Brexit legislation.
Read the full 2019 Legislation Programme here.