Watch in. Making new laws is one of the main tasks of the Oireachtas. A draft of a proposed new law is called a Bill. The Oireachtas passes approximately 50 Acts each year. In order to be passed, a Bill must go through several distinct Stages in each House.
Only when both Houses have passed a Bill can the President sign it into law. If the Seanad votes not to pass a Bill, the Bill will lapse after days. Government Ministers can bring forward Bills, and these are called Government Bills. Senators may not initiate Money Bills or Bills to amend the Constitution. If the Government wants to repeal or change an existing law, it does so by creating a new Act.
For example, the Children Act repealed several laws including the Children Act , and the Children Amendment Act amended the Children Act to amalgamate the child detention schools. The Government implements its annual budget by introducing and enacting a Finance Bill and a Social Welfare Bill each year. The Government may also need to introduce legislation to enact European Union laws or decisions by the European courts.
The Government lists the Bills it is bringing forward and the Acts it has passed in its legislative programme. For example, an independent TD brought forward the Fossil Fuel Divestment Bill to divest public money from fossil fuel companies. The Bill was enacted in It amended various Licensing Acts to remove the prohibition on licensed premises from trading on Good Friday. If a PMB involves public expenditure, it cannot progress to Committee Stage unless the Government issues a money message supporting the expenditure.
Before the Government publishes a Bill, there is usually a consultation process. For example, the Green Paper on Energy Policy in Ireland was launched in May and 1, submissions were made during the consultation process. Before a Bill is finalised, a general scheme of the Bill may be published, and this is often called the heads of the Bill. TDs and Senators who are not members of the Government do their own research on the policy proposals behind their proposed legislation.
