Bill

Purpose

Status

Data Sharing and Governance Bill

To mandate greater data-sharing and data-linking in the public service, to provide a legal mechanism to facilitate lawful data-sharing and data-linking for all public bodies, and to define standards for data governance and security to be followed in any data-sharing or data-linking activities.

Pre-legislative scrutiny expected by end 2016

Criminal Justice (Offences Relating to Information Systems) Bill 2016

To give effect to provisions of EU Directive 2013/40 on attacks against information systems. The Bill amends the Criminal Damage Act 1991, the Bail Act 1997 and the Criminal Justice Act 2011.

Order for Second Stage (Dáil)

Amendment of the Constitution (Unified Patent Court) Bill

To amend Article 29 of the Constitution to recognise the International Agreement on a Unified Patent Court.

Heads approved on 23 July 2014

Digital Hub Development Agency (Dissolution) Bill

To dissolve the Digital Hub Development Agency (DHDA), repeal the DHDA Act 2003, and to give effect to the merger between the DHDA and Dublin City Council.

Heads of bill expected late 2016

Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill

To adopt certain recommendations made by the Copyright Review Committee to modernise the Irish copyright and related rights regime, and provide for other necessary changes identified across the range of intellectual property issues.

Heads of bill approved in July 2016; referred to pre-legislative scrutiny

Hallmarking (Amendment) Bill

To amend the Hallmarking Act 1981 to allow for hallmarking of palladium and mixed metals, and to allow offsite/off-shore marking of precious metals by the Irish Assay Office.

Decided in 2014 not to undertake pre-legislative scrutiny

Knowledge Development Box (Certification of Inventions) Bill

To provide for a certification scheme in respect of intellectual property for small companies to enable those companies obtain a tax benefit under the Knowledge Development Box and to amend the Patents Act 1992 to re-introduce substantive examination for patent applications.

Pre-legislative scrutiny expected shortly

Cybercrime Bill

To give effect to those provisions of the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime 2001 not already provided for in national law in order to enable ratification of the Convention.

Preparatory work underway

Data Protection Bill

To give effect in Irish law to the (recently adopted) EU Regulation on Data Protection.

Heads of bill expected end 2016

Passenger Name Record Bill

To give effect to the Passenger Name Record (PNR) Directive which must be transposed into law by May 2018. The Directive is a counter terrorist measure which obliges air carriers to provide member states’ authorities with PNR data for flights entering or departing from the EU.

Heads of bill have yet to be prepared

Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill

To amend various pieces of legislation in respect of electronic communications.

Work is underway