The Government has published its Legislation Programme for the forthcoming 13 week session of Dáil Eireann, the first for the new government. In this briefing, we highlight the legislation relevant to the healthcare sector which will be prioritised for publication and drafting. We also highlight legislation relevant to the sector for which preparation work is ongoing.

Priority legislation for publication

Health (Amendment) Bill

The purpose of this bill is to amend the Health Act 2004. It aims to provide for changes to corporate and service planning processes amongst other provisions. It includes new requirements on the HSE Board and CEO with regards to appropriate systems, procedures, and practices to exercise the highest standards of prudent and effective financial and budgetary management and that proposals for corrective action are put in place where expenditure levels have been exceeded. The heads of the bill were approved in February 2021.

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) (Amendment) Bill

The purpose of this bill is to address issues related to parentage and citizenship arising from the issue of fertility clinics aboard by Irish residents and Irish citizens living abroad and effect other amendments to the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024. The heads of the bill were approved in October 2024.

Priority legislation for drafting

The following bills of relevance to the Healthcare sector are expected to be a drafting priority.

Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care)(Amendment) Bill 2024

The purpose of the bill is to amend the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005, the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, the Dentists Act 1985, and the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011. The aim of the amendments is to enable agreed Departmental policy on advanced practice for Health and Social Care Professions, and on Fitness to Practice, as well as creating other internal operating efficiencies to support the regulators in fulfilling their public protection objectives. Revised heads of bill are being prepared.

Health (Amendment) (Licensing of Professional Home Support Providers) Bill

The purpose of this bill is to provide a regulatory framework comprising of primary legislation for the licensing of home support providers, secondary legislation in the form of regulations, and HIQA national standards with the aim of ensuring that all service users are provided with high quality care. Pre-legislative scrutiny completed in October 2024.

Public Health (Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill

The purpose of this bill is to regulate nicotine inhaling products such as e-cigarettes. The heads of bill were approved in September 2024.

Bills undergoing preparatory work

Preparatory work is ongoing in respect of the bills, relevant to the healthcare sector, listed below.

Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill

The purpose of the bill is to introduce a licensing requirement for all hospitals, public and private, and certain designated high-risk activities in the community.

Protection of Liberty Safeguards Bill

The purpose of the bill is to provide procedural safeguards to ensure that people who cannot consent to their care arrangements in relevant facilities are not deprived of their liberty.

Northern Ireland (Planned Healthcare Scheme) Bill

The purpose of this bill is to introduce a statutory scheme enabling people resident in the State to access and be reimbursed for private healthcare in Northern Ireland by the HSE, provided that such healthcare is publicly available within Ireland.

Dentists (Amendment) Bill

The purpose of the bill is to introduce a statutory basis for mandatory CPD for dentists, to make explicit the powers available to the Dental Council to evaluate all registerable programmes of training, and other technical amendments.

National Research Ethics Committees (NREC) Bill

The purpose of this bill is to provide a legislative framework for National Research Ethics Committees operating in key areas of health research.

Health (Adult Safeguarding) Bill

The purpose of this bill is to underpin a planned national policy on adult safeguarding in the health and social care sector.

Health (Pharmacy and Prescribing) Bill

The purpose of the bill is to revise elements of the Pharmacy Act 2007 to update some provisions and enable the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland to streamline some functions (e.g. fitness to practice processes). Subject to further legal advice, to update provisions of the Pharmacy Act, the Misuse of Drugs Act and the Irish Medicines Board Act to better support the Department of Health eHealth strategy.

Bills restored to the Dáil Order Paper

Both the Health Information Bill 2024 and the Mental Health Bill 2024 have been restored to the Dáil Order Paper as of 18 February 2025.

Please get in touch with any member of our market-leading Healthcare Group if you wish to discuss this legislation programme or any other healthcare related matter.