Rushing legislation ‘is a deliberate process’ says Donegal TD

The Government has been slammed for rushing legislation through the Dáil every year in the lead-up to Oireachtas recesses, while also leaving legislation unenacted.

Independent TD Thomas Pringle said he is annoyed this practice continues unchallenged

“I’ve raised this every year at this time. Just look over the last number of years at the amount of legislation that comes through and when it comes through.

"During the July period, before the summer recess, the number of bills shoot through the roof. In December, before the Christmas recess, it shoots through the roof again. So it’s a deliberate process.

“It seems to be a way of departments deciding they’re going to rush these bills through, without allowing for proper scrutiny. How do you know if you’ve got bad law if you have no scrutiny of it?” he said.

The deputy has raised the issue a number of times in the Dáil and most recently last week during the debate on Instruction to Committee on Historic and Archaeological Heritage Bill 2023.

The Dáil debate referred to legislation from 2009 that had removed powers from Lough Corrib Navigation Trustees, which deputies were being asked to restore in a rush this week.

“When was it discovered that this was a problem? And when was it decided that legislation was needed to resolve this issue?

“They were drafting all these rushed amendments and didn’t tell the committee about them when the committee met last week. Surely officials had to know they were working on it at that time. They didn’t tell the committee at their meeting on Monday, either. There was only a rushed briefing for the committee on Wednesday.

“The sheer contempt by officials and officialdom towards the Dáil is just shocking,” he said.

Unimplemented

Deputy Pringle has also been asking questions of departments about legislation that has been passed by the Dáil but remains unimplemented. He explained that after a bill is passed and signed into law, the minister must enact regulations to enact the bill.

“Over the last 10 years, there are hundreds of sections of bills that haven’t been implemented. In some cases, entire bills haven’t been implemented.

“I can see that a minister should have a certain amount of discretion. But it shouldn’t be endless.”

Deputy Pringle has also spoken in the Dáil a number of times of the importance of reviewing legislation once it has been passed.

“A bill should be reviewed after one year or two years maximum, to see what’s happening with it. Quite a lot of groups see legislation passed and think, well, that’s the problem solved. But maybe the piece they were looking for hasn’t been implemented, which is bizarre.

“The amount of legislation that has been rushed through this House and hasn’t been enacted by ministers is shocking. Having a proper reporting structure would ensure that there’s more accountability,” said the Killybegs-based deputy.