The Government will today promise it will publish almost 30 new Bills between now and Easter including major legislation in the employment, enterprise and justice areas.

However, it was confirmed by the chief whip’s office last night that the list will not include a Bill on abortion – while a Heads of Bill (draft legislation) may materialise before the Easter break, the Bill is not now expected to be published until after Easter.

Government chief whip Paul Kehoe will today announce the list of Bills to be published in this Dáil session. Almost one-third of the Bills are carry-overs from the session before Christmas, when 21 of the 31 Bills promised were published.

Some of the major Bills in the enterprise area will give effect to plans to rationalise and reduce the number of State agencies. Others will be included as part of the Government’s commitments under the bailout programme agreed with the troika of the European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank.

Among the major Bills to be published will be legislation to rationalise the existing commissions, authorities and courts that deal with industrial relations and equality at work into one all-encompassing agency.

Read full article by Harry McGee here