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The Government Legislation Programme for the Spring 2026 session has been published. The Cabinet has approved 30 bills for priority publication and 34 bills for priority drafting. Priority legislation includes the National Cyber Security Bill, the Renewable Heat Obligation Bill, the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill and the Civil Reform Bill.
ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENT FUNDS
ASSET MANAGEMENT & INVESTMENT FUNDS
| Bill | Purpose | Status |
| Miscellaneous Provisions (Registration of Limited Partnerships and Business Names) Bill |
The bill will reform the Limited Partnership Act 1907 and the Registration of Business Names Act 1963, strengthening Ireland's regulatory framework and the transparency of Limited Partnerships. See our briefing here. |
Heads of bill approved in July 2024. |
| UN Restrictive Measures Bill | To create a mechanism by which persons would be obliged to adhere to the asset freezing requirements of certain UN Security Council Resolutions in the period prior to their incorporation in an EU legislative act, in order to meet Ireland's international obligations and prevent sanctions evasion. | Work is ongoing. |
| Violation of Restrictive Measures Bill | Bill to transpose EU Directive 2024/1226 on the definition of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of Union restrictive measures. |
Heads of bill approved in March 2025. (Priority Drafting) |
BANKING & FINANCE
| Bill | Purpose | Status |
| Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill |
To update aspects of personal insolvency legislation, following a statutory review of the Personal Insolvency Acts. |
Work is ongoing. |
| Co-operative Societies Bill |
To place the co-operative model on a more favourable and clearer legal basis, thereby creating a level playing field with companies and encouraging the consideration of the cooperative model as an attractive formation option for entrepreneurs. See our briefing here. |
Work is ongoing. (Priority Drafting) |
| Miscellaneous Provisions (Registration of Limited Partnerships and Business Names) Bill |
This bill will reform the Limited Partnership Act 1907 and the Registration of Business Names Act 1963, strengthening Ireland's regulatory framework and responding to concerns raised in relation to the transparency of Limited Partnerships. See our briefing here. |
Heads of bill approved in July 2024. |
| Credit Review Bill 2024 | To put SI 127/2010 that established the Credit Review Office on a statutory footing. | At Second Stage. (Seanad) |
| Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024 | This new legislation is to provide for ownership of Microfinance Ireland (MFI) to pass from its current parentage, the Social Finance Foundation to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and to put in place the related governance structures. It will give greater oversight to a body which is responsible for an increased amount of state sponsored lending than its original mandate. Furthermore, it will create a more established and regular relationship between the funding Department and the body delivering the funding directly to recipient businesses. This will assist the start-ups, micro businesses, and the body itself in giving certainty to the continued existence and development of MFI. | At Second Stage. (Seanad) |
| Conclusion of IBRC Special Liquidation and Dissolution of NAMA Bill | To effect the conclusion of the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC) Special Liquidation and the dissolution of the National Asset Management Agency by the end of 2025. To implement appropriate arrangements to manage any remaining residual activity of both entities following the respective conclusion of their work mandates, including through the creation of a new Resolution Unit within the National Treasury Management Agency to manage any remaining residual activity from 2026 onwards. | Heads of bill approved in July 2024. Work is ongoing. (Priority Publication) |
| UN Restrictive Measures Bill | To create a mechanism by which persons would be obliged to adhere to the asset freezing requirements of certain UN Security Council Resolutions in the period prior to their incorporation in an EU legislative act, i.e. a 'bridging measure', in order to meet Ireland's international obligations and prevent sanctions evasion. | Work is ongoing. |
| Violation of Restrictive Measures Bill | Bill to transpose EU Directive 2024/1226 on the definition of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of Union restrictive measures. | Heads of bill approved in March 2025. (Priority Drafting) |
| Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2025 | To transpose certain elements of Directive (EU) 2024/1640 (the Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive) of relevance to the Central Bank of Ireland, through amendment to the Central Bank Reform Act 2011 and /or the Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Act 2013. | Work is ongoing. |
| Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 20251 | To amend the Central Bank Act 1942 and prohibit financial service providers from discriminating against survivors of cancer from accessing financial services and to provide for related matters. | At Committee Stage. (Dáil) |
CORPORATE
| Bill | Purpose | Status |
| Industrial Development (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill | The primary purpose of the Bill is to amend the Industrial Development Act 1986 to strengthen IDA's provision of (i) environmental aid grants and (ii) consultancy grants. It will also provide that IDA Ireland be permitted to establish jointly owned Designated Activity Companies, with the sole purpose of developing critical industrial and commercial property and infrastructure. This Bill also contains unrelated amendments in respect of Enterprise Ireland and the Health and Safety Authority, and technical enabling amendments to the Dangerous Substances Act 1972 and the Chemicals Act 2008. | Heads of bill approved in February 2025. (Priority Publication) |
| Co-operative Societies Bill |
To place the co-operative model on a more favourable and clearer legal basis, thereby creating a level playing field with companies and encouraging the consideration of the cooperative model as an attractive formation option for entrepreneurs. See our briefing here. |
Work is ongoing. (Priority Drafting) |
| Miscellaneous Provisions (Registration of Limited Partnerships and Business Names) Bill | This bill will reform the Limited Partnerships Act 1907 and the Registration of Business Names Act 1963, strengthening Ireland's regulatory framework and responding to concerns raised in relation to the transparency of Limited Partnerships. See our briefing here. | Heads of bill approve |
| UN Restrictive Measures Bill | To create a mechanism by which persons would be obliged to adhere to the asset freezing requirements of certain UN Security Council Resolutions in the period prior to their incorporation in an EU legislative act, i.e. a 'bridging measure', in order to meet Ireland's international obligations and prevent sanctions evasion. | Work is ongoing. |
| Violation of Restrictive Measures Bill | Bill to transpose EU Directive 2024/1226 on the definition of criminal offences and penalties for the violation of Union restrictive measures. | Heads of bill approved in March 2025. (Priority Drafting) |
| Charities (Amendment) Bill | Amendments are now required to the Charities Act 2009 in respect of the operation of the Charity Appeals Tribunal. The amendments are in relation to providing for a quorum for the Tribunal, allowing for a Deputy Chair and to insert a provision in respect of 'privilege of evidence'. | Heads of bill being prepared. (Priority Drafting) |
EMPLOYMENT & PENSIONS
| Bill | Purpose | Status |
| Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) (Amendment) Bill 2025 | To update the legislation governing the protection of employees during their employer's insolvency. The Bill will address a 2018 Supreme Court judgment by fully transposing Article 2(1) of Directive 2008/94/EC and will incorporate technical amendments to improve the operation of the Protection of Employees (Employers' Insolvency) Act 1984. | At Report Stage. (Dáil) |
| Registration of Trade Unions Bill | To modernise and consolidate the existing legislation in respect of the registration requirements for trade unions. | Heads of bill being prepared. |
| Civil Service Regulation and Public Service Management (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill | To amend the Civil Service Regulation Acts 1956–2005 and the Public Service Management Act 1997 to provide that disciplinary action up to and including dismissal in the Civil Service can be assigned below the level of the head of the organisation (Appropriate Authority) and other miscellaneous amendments to modernise the legislation based on the General Scheme, including the establishment of a Senior Post Remuneration Committee and certain terms and conditions for Secretaries General. | Work is ongoing. (Priority Publication) |
| Construction Safety Licensing Bill 2023 | To provide for the establishment of a statutory licensing system for construction and related activities. | At Report Stage. (Dáil) |
| Pay Transparency Bill | Bill to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive. See our briefing here. | Heads of bill being prepared. |
| Equality and Family Leave (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill | Bill providing for amendments to the Employment Equality and Equal Status Acts, arising from a review of the Equality legislation. This bill will also provide for Surrogacy Leave and leave for pregnancy loss. | No update provided. |
| Gender Pay Gap Information (Amendment) Bill | To clarify the legislative basis for employers to report their gender pay gap to the Minister via a central online portal. | Heads of bill being prepared. |
| Pensions (Amendment) Bill | The Department of Social Protection is currently working, in conjunction with the Pensions Authority, to develop detailed policy and legislative proposals relating to the regulation and supervision of Master Trust pension schemes and to ensure the appropriate statutory protections are provided for these schemes. | Work is ongoing. |
| Data Sharing and Governance (Single Public Service Pension Scheme) Bill | To establish a Single Public Service Pension Scheme Centralised Database and Information System. | Heads of bill approved in December 2025. (Priority Drafting) |
Footnote
1. The Legislation Programme includes two separate bills entitled "Central Bank (Amendment) Bill 2025". Although they share the same title, they are separate and relate to different matters.
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