Rose Conway-Walsh
Question:85. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education if she will provide an update on the legislative programme. [3493/24]
View answerTuesday, 13 February 2024
Questions (85)
Written answers
My Department has one item of priority legislation for publication in the spring session 2024 which is the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill.
This Bill has two main purposes – to enable the provision of a number of supports to survivors of abuse in residential institutions and to formally dissolve Caranua.
The Government approved the provision of a package of ongoing supports to survivors and the related General Scheme on 27 June 2023. The General Scheme was published and referred to the Joint Committee for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny on 25 September 2023.
The Committee’s Pre-Legislative Scrutiny Report was received by the Department on 15 December 2023 and its recommendations are under consideration. The Department is working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel (OPC) to finalise the drafting of the Bill in February.
Other items of legislation for drafting under the remit of my Department include:
The Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019. The purpose of this bill is to provide for a Student and Parent Charter in every school.
The Bill was originally published on 10 September 2019 and has been passed by the Seanad (the Bill was initiated in the Seanad).The Bill passed Second Stage in the Dáil on 8th July 2021.
Officials in my department are currently engaging with stakeholders and the OPC regarding possible amendments which will have to be approved by Government prior to proceeding to committee stage.
My Department is also working on the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill which is required to make some necessary technical amendments to education legislation. Heads are currently being drafted for the bill.
Following the decision to restructure Departments in 2020, certain functions were transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and this bill may be utilised to transfer these functions.