Amendments to Bills

Amendments to amendments may also be tabled on Committee and Report Stages. Amendments to the motion for the second reading of a Bill, as distinct from the Bill itself, may be tabled when the Bill is to be considered on Second Stage; such amendments appear on the Order Paper or a supplementary Order Paper. All amendments must be in writing and signed.

Proposed amendments are described by reference to the page and line numbers of the Bill, and also by reference to section numbers when a Bill is being amended on Committee Stage. When proposed amendments are received by the Bills Office, they are first circulated to Members unnumbered as a "white list" and subsequently published as a "numbered list" of amendments, ordered by their page and line number reference.

Non-Government amendments on Report Stage in the Seanad require both a proposer and a seconder.

Relevancy and admissibility

Amendments may vary in complexity from minor editorial changes to the text of a Bill to the insertion of new Parts or Schedules, but Standing Orders require that amendments to a Bill must be relevant to the subject matter of the Bill and must not conflict with the principle of the Bill as read a second time. The Chair rules on the relevancy of amendments by reference to the scope and purpose of the Bill.

Amendments that could have the effect of imposing or increasing a charge upon the people or the revenue may only be moved by way of Government amendment. The Chair rules on the admissibility of amendments which involve such charges.

Where an amendment is disallowed by the Cathaoirleach, the Member concerned is notified by letter as early as possible of the disallowance and the reason for it. No discussion is permitted in the House on the ruling of the Chair regarding the disallowance of an amendment.

On the conclusion of an amending stage of a Bill, staff of the Bills Office will prepare an amended version of the Bill incorporating the amendments agreed by Members during the debate.