Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2026
374. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23330/26]
View answerThe General Scheme of the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2025 was referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for pre-legislative scrutiny (PLS) on 19 May last year, and my officials engaged with the Joint Committee. On 24 September 2025, the Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration published its report on PLS of the General Scheme of the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Committee made 30 recommendations in relation to the General Scheme.
The Bill was then referred for formal drafting, which is ongoing between my Department and the Office of Parliamentary Counsel and is at an advanced stage.
My Department and the Office of the Attorney General are focused on ensuring that the Bill meets all constitutional obligations, including that the best interests of the child are the paramount consideration in any proceedings concerning the guardianship of a child. The proposed legislation delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to “examine proposals to remove guardianship rights from those convicted of killing their partners or a parent of their child”. It upholds a fundamental principle that those convicted of the most serious crimes should not retain automatic legal authority over the children they have left behind.
