Reforms prioritised in 2011 legislative programme

The Government has prioritised a number of major electoral reforms in its first legislation programme published today.

The majority of the 20 priority Bills in the programme to be published by July 21 are carryovers from the last Government. However, the list includes four new Bills which the Government has said will be published by Summer.

The entire list comprises 105 pieces of proposed legislation.

They include the Electoral Amendment (Political Funding) Bill which will ban corporate donations, will set new rules for political funding and will also impose lower thresholds, above which donations have to be declared.

The Government has also included an Electoral Commission Bill in the list. As well as setting up a new independent commission to oversee the electoral process, the proposed legislation also includes plans to introduce a statutory register of lobbyists and to introduce rules concerning the practise of lobbying.

While the previous Fianna Fáil-led government also planned to set up an electoral commission, Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe said today that the provisions for lobbyists are new.

There are also three new bills being brought forward by the Department of Finance. They include the Ministers and Secretaries Bill to give effect to the splitting up of the Department of Finance and to allow the establishment of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

There is also a Finance Bill to facilitate the Coalition’s Jobs Budget which it has promised to deliver within 100 days of going into Government. The legislation will provide a statutory basis for any changes in taxation measures that might arise from that.

A Central Bank Bill will expand the supervisory powers of the Central Bank and also further strengthen its financial regulation functions.

A Bill being brought forward by the Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn by Summer will set up a new qualifications and training organisation that will also take responsibility for the external quality review of the universities.

The publication of a number of Bills have been pushed back. They include the Climate Change Bill. The outgoing government’s minister for the environment John Gormley published the Bill but the new Government has rejected the legislation.

It will publish its own Bill but publication is not expected until 2012. There is also no mention in the list of legislation to a number of key issues which the Government has promised; its plans to restore the minimum wage from €7.63 per hour to €8.63 per hour; a bill toestablish the organisation that will replace FAS, or legislation to

set up the the new Strategic Investment Bank.