The abolition of the triple lock on Irish military engagement, a new licensing regime for e-scooters and tougher rules to attain Irish citizenship will be among the main Bills the Government hopes to pass through the Oireachtas this autumn.
To coincide with the opening day of the Dáil on Wednesday, Government chief whip Mary Butler published the list of priority legislation between now and Christmas.
In all it hopes to publish 32 Bills and begin drafting a further 32 pieces of legislation. That is in addition to the 18 Bills on the order paper (already published and awaiting their turn to begin their passage through the Dáil and Seanad).
The most contentious of the Bills will be the Defence (Amendment) Act 2026, published in late June and due to come before the Dáil early in this session.
RM Block
The Bill proposes to abolish the triple lock that has been in place since 2002. Under the triple lock, any overseas mission by the Defence Forces involving more than 12 personnel required a mandate from the United Nations, as well as approval from the Government and the Oireachtas.
However, because the UN Security Council has been deadlocked for more than a decade, and with the end of the 50-year UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, the Government has argued that Irish Defence Forces will be denied the opportunity of participating in overseas peacekeeping missions.
The issue has become a clear demarcation line between the Government and Opposition parties, which have argued that axing the triple lock will dilute Irish military neutrality.
In addition, there has been internal opposition to the change within Fianna Fáil, with a number of its parliamentarians demanding a debate before the party adopts a final position on the issue.
The first private members’ motion of the new Dáil term was tabled by Sinn Féin and debated on Wednesday evening.
Minister for Defence Helen McEntee said that with the triple lock, Ireland’s Defence Forces would be limited to providing office appointments and training teams in future deployments, and would have to rely on soldiers from other countries to provide protection for them.
“I have spoken with many soldiers who have told me directly that the opportunity to serve their country overseas is why they have joined the Defence Forces,” she said.
“So, if we keep things as they are, we could not contribute beyond a handful of our personnel training other soldiers, and we would require other countries’ soldiers to provide protection to our trainers.”
A Bill to tighten the requirements for citizenship is also expected to be published between now and the end of the year, with the Government also looking for an early passage through the Dáil. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan recently set out the proposed changes, including an extension of the timeframe for eligibility for citizenship from five years to eight, in addition to a language test. This Bill is also likely to give rise to divided views in the Dáil.
In July, the Government decided that e-scooters, currently classed as personal powered transporters, would have their classification changed to the same vehicle type as motorcycles and cars. Under these rules, motorists would be required to hold driving licences and have insurance.
A Bill to give effect to that change will be drafted in the autumn and, under its provisions, gardaí will be given legal protection when pursuing e-scooters. Minister of State for Road Safety, Seán Canney, has said he is confident that this change will become law by the end of 2026.
