Arbitration (Amendment) Bill 2025: Report and Final Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-09
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Nessa Cosgrove (LAB), Labour Panel

This again comes back to the public interest and the responsibility that we have to the public. The amendment is an attempt to at least put some democratic guardrails on the process. It would modify the procedure by which the provisions of the Bill could apply to additional agreements. It would require that the Minister prepare a detailed estimate and statement on the potential cost exposure of the State arising from the prescription of any agreement under the Bill and would specify that such prescription must be agreed to by the passage of a resolution by both Houses of the Oireachtas. It seeks a minimum time of at least three hours for debates on the resolution of both Houses. It would also require inter-ministerial consultations and consultations with an Oireachtas committee in the process.
The powers being given to the Minister under this subsection are unjustifiable and we completely oppose it. We hope this amendment will put some democratic guardrails on the process and at least ensure that the elected Houses of the Oireachtas have a chance to discuss and debate this before we are signed up to the new investor court. That is the least we can do as politicians. I do not think it is a big ask. This would ensure that the Minister needs to examine closely the impacts of such a change. The Minister of State said earlier that it is too late but I do not think it is. This amendment would be the bare minimum and I hope he can accept it.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:01+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-09