Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026: From the Seanad
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-15
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Jim O'Callaghan (FF), Dublin Bay South

Amendments Nos. 1, 2 and 81 have been grouped and I will speak to them together. Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 relate to the commencement of the Bill and amend section 1(4), which provides for said commencement. Currently, provision is made for all provisions to be commenced by ministerial order, with certain listed exceptions which are to come into effect on enactment.
Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 amend section 1(4) to provide for the following provisions of the Bill as passed by Dáil Éireann, to come into effect on enactment: subsections (1) and (4) of section 1, section 4(b)(i), section 43, section 69, insofar as it relates to the Courts Service, section 70, section 74 and Parts 3 and 4, along with the Part to be inserted that amends the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926.
I will now turn to amendment No. 81. This relates to section 69 of the Bill as passed by Dáil Éireann, which amends Schedule 5 to the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to add the Courts Service to the Schedule. Other operational criminal justice agencies such as the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service and Forensic Science Ireland, being under the direct aegis of my Department, are already specified bodies under the Schedule. The Legal Aid Board is also a specified body.
Amendment No. 81 proposes to further amend Schedule 5 to the 2005 Act in order to add the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, as a specified body and to remove the current restriction on An Garda Síochána, whereby it is a specified body only in relation to its own members. Critically, this amendment will also facilitate the development of a unique identifier across the criminal justice system. I think this is something that is going to be very beneficial.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-15/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:08+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-15