There have been no applications from my Department to the Oireachtas Business Committee to waive pre-legislative scrutiny in respect of legislation sponsored or initiated since 1 January 2017.
My Department since 2017 to date has submitted one piece of legislation for pre-legislative scrutiny.
The general scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade and Defence on 11 October 2018 for consideration as to whether pre-legislative scrutiny was appropriate in this case. The Committee reverted to my Department on 28 February 2019 advising that the Heads of the Bill were considered and the Committee agreed not to proceed with Pre-Legislative Scrutiny.
Legislation from the Department of Defence is generally focused on the Defence Forces only and does not apply to the ordinary citizen or business.