Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 November 2020
700. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice the details of all applications made by her Department to the Oireachtas Business Committee to waive pre-legislative scrutiny of primary and secondary legislation sponsored or initiated by her Department from 1 January 2017 to date; the outcomes of such applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37899/20]
View answerMy Department made applications to the Oireachtas Business Committee to waiver pre-legislative scrutiny on five pieces of legislation since 2017.
Waivers were granted on 14 June 2018 for the General Scheme of the 37th Amendment of the Constitution (Removal of Blasphemy) Bill 2018 and on 17 January 2019 for the General Scheme of the Repeal of Offence of Publication or Utterance of Blasphemous Matter Bill 2019. These were granted because the Bills in question concerned a proposal to amend the Constitution (2018 Bill) and a Bill to give effect to the outcome of the Referendum (2019 Bill).
This year, my Department applied to waive scrutiny under standing order 173 for the General Scheme of the Personal Insolvency (Amendment) (No. 1) Bill 2020, the Criminal and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 Bill and the Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020 as these needed to be progressed and implemented quickly in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
