New whistleblower legislation and a substantial amendment to the Freedom of Information Act will be among the 30 Bills the Government has committed to publish during the spring session.
Twenty of the Bills promised for publication are new, with the remaining 10 being carried over from last year.
The Protected Disclosure in the Public Interest Bill will protect those who disclose information regarding serious wrongdoing in the workplace against reprisal.
The protection of confidential communication with members of the Oireachtas will be included in the Bill.
In addition, legislation will be published to give effect to changes announced last autumn setting out how the Oireachtas can conduct parliamentary inquiries. This Bill is expected to pave the way for the long-awaited parliamentary inquiry into the banking crisis.
Government chief whip Paul Kehoe said the Department of the Taoiseach and the Attorney General’s office were also working towards publishing legislation that would allow a referendum on the future of the Seanad.
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