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Legislation to provide the right to request remote working, new gambling regulations, and measures relating to urban development zones are among 38 bills being prioritised by the Government this term.
The Dáil resumes on Wednesday after the summer recess, with the cost-of-living crisis expected to be top of the agenda when TDs return.
The Finance Bill and Social Welfare Bill, which will enact changes announced in this month’s Budget, and which will focus on measures to support families and businesses with energy challenges and rising prices, will be among the first pieces of legislation to pass.
Government Chief Whip Jack Chambers is expected to publish the legislative programme for the forthcoming autumn Oireachtas session after it goes to Cabinet this morning.
The Government is expected to again focus on housing with a number of bills given priority including the Land Value Sharing and Urban Development Zones Bill to ensure the continued delivery of house building as committed to the in Housing For All Plan.
In health, the Human Tissue Bill, which has been on the agenda since 2019 when the general scheme was published by then-Health Minister Simon Harris, has again been included on the priority list. The Bill aims to update organ donation and transplantation procedures and would see Ireland adopt a soft opt-out, an approach that automatically assumes a person is in favour of donating their organs unless they state otherwise.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has already indicated that he wants to see safe access zones introduced around hospitals and other facilities that provide abortions before the end of this year and so the Health (Termination of Services Safe Access Zones) Bill will be prioritised.
Also on the priority list for health is the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill.
In May, the Government approved the drafting of the Work Life Balance Bill to give effect to the EU Work Life Balance Directive.
This legislation will give parents and carers of children under 12 the right to request flexible work, will introduce five days unpaid leave for medical care reasons, and extend paid entitlement to breastfeeding breaks from six months to two years.