Each Private Member's Bill for introduction is initially assessed by the Bills Office for compliance with Standing Orders and a final decision is made by the Chair of the House in which the Bill is to be introduced.
Once a decision is made that a Private Member's Bill is admissible for introduction, the Bills Office will work with the Member to approve a proof for publication, place the Title on the Dáil business site and arrange time for the Member to seek leave to introduce the Bill.
The Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers provides a comprehensive service to assist Members with Private Members' Bills, including confidential legal advice, legal policy analysis and legislative drafting services. The process involves Members working closely with a legal adviser and a drafter from the office to formulate the proposal and ensure that any draft Bill accurately reflects the policy intention. Members are not obliged to use the drafting service and may draft their own Bills.
Private Members' Bills are not subject to pre-legislative scrutiny. Instead, once the Bill has passed Second Stage in the Dáil and before it can be scheduled for Committee Stage, the Bill’s sponsor may request the relevant select committee to carry out pre-Committee Stage scrutiny of the Bill. This scrutiny has a similar purpose to pre-legislative scrutiny in seeking to ensure high-quality legislation and offer stakeholders an opportunity for engagement.
Committee Stage for a Private Member's Bill may only be ordered once a select committee has either waived scrutiny or has made a recommendation that the Bill should proceed.
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Last Updated: Mon, 25 Nov 2024