Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 May 2026
263. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if she has considered publishing departmental scorecards or dashboards outlining the status of European Union directive transposition deadlines, missed deadlines, infringement proceedings and associated costs to the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39463/26]
View answerOver Ireland’s 50 years of EU membership, approximately 4,500 Directives have been transposed into domestic law. The vast majority are transposed on time, usually within two years following official publication, depending upon the deadline provided for within the respective Directive. Where a Directive is not transposed on time, the European Commission can open infringement proceedings against Ireland. Most infringement proceedings are resolved (once transposition is completed) at the initial pre-litigation stages of either Letter of Formal Notice or Reasoned Opinion.
Where this does not occur, the European Commission can refer Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for non/incomplete transposition. Any costs arising are paid from voted allocations of the relevant Department.
In the interests of public transparency, my Department launched in March 2026 a new dedicated section on the Department’s website which highlights how Ireland implements EU law. This includes details on Directives which have transposition deadlines in 2026, as well as infringement proceedings open against Ireland and their current procedural stage. This is updated on a monthly basis. www.ireland.ie/en/eu/implementation-of-eu-law-in-ireland/.
