Закон об изменении социального обеспечения, гражданского регистрационного учёта и благотворительных организаций Ирландии 2026

An Bille um Leas Sóisialach, um Chlárú Sibhialta agus um Charthanais

(Leasú), 2026

Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026

Mar a tionscnaíodh

As initiated

[No. 84 of 2026]

AN BILLE UM LEAS SÓISIALACH, UM CHLÁRÚ SIBHIALTA AGUS UM

CHARTHANAIS (LEASÚ), 2026

SOCIAL WELFARE, CIVIL REGISTRATION AND CHARITIES (AMENDMENT)

BILL 2026

Mar a tionscnaíodh

As initiated

CONTENTS

PART 1

PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL

Section

1. Short title, construction, collective citation and commencement

2. Definitions

3. Repeal

PART 2

AMENDMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE CONSOLIDATION ACT 2005

4. Pre-retirement allowance (repeal and consequential amendments)

5. Amendment of sections 64 and 227 of, and Schedule 1 to, Principal Act (update of references to tax regulations)

6. Amendment of section 68 of Principal Act

7. References to bereaved partner’s pension

8. Amendment of section 263 of Principal Act

9. Amendment of section 300A of Principal Act

10. Affirmation, revision, annulment and remittal by Chief Appeals Officer of decision of appeals officer

11. Appeals to High Court

PART 3

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL REGISTRATION ACT 2004

12. Definition (Part 3)

[No.84 of 2026]

15. Amendment of section 23A of Act of 2004

16. Amendment of section 30F of Act of 2004

17. Error in relevant entry

18. Register of lived identity

19. Amendment of section 30J of Act of 2004

20. Amendment of section 30K of Act of 2004

21. Notification of death and medical certification of cause of death

25. Amendment of First Schedule to Act of 2004

PART 4

AMENDMENT OF CHARITIES ACT 2009

26. Amendment of Charities Act 2009

ACTS REFERRED TO

Charities Act 2009 (No. 6)

Civil Registration (Electronic Registration) Act 2024 (No. 27)

Civil Registration Act 2004 (No. 3)

Civil Registration Acts 2004 to 2024

Coroners Act 1962 (No. 9)

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 (No. 37)

Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 (No. 24)

Social Welfare Act 2021 (No. 44)

Social Welfare and Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Act 2025 (No. 19)

Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 (No. 6)

Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (No. 26)

Statistics Act 1993 (No. 21)

Status of Children Act 1987 (No. 26)

AN BILLE UM LEAS SÓISIALACH, UM CHLÁRÚ SIBHIALTA AGUS UM

CHARTHANAIS (LEASÚ), 2026

SOCIAL WELFARE, CIVIL REGISTRATION AND CHARITIES (AMENDMENT)

BILL 2026

Bill entitled An Act to amend and extend the Social Welfare Acts; to amend the Civil Registration Act 2004; to amend the Charities Act 2009; and to provide for related matters.

Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows:

PART 1

PRELIMINARY AND GENERAL

Short title, construction, collective citation and commencement

Registration) Act 2024 and Part 3 may be cited together as the Civil Registration Acts 2004 to 2026.

Definitions

“Principal Act” means the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005.

Repeal

PART 2

AMENDMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE CONSOLIDATION ACT 2005

Pre-retirement allowance (repeal and consequential amendments)

“(1) In the case of a couple, where each of the couple is entitled to jobseeker’s allowance, the total amount payable to them under this Chapter shall not exceed the amount which would be payable if only one of them was entitled to be paid jobseeker’s allowance (including any increases thereof, where appropriate) and each of them shall be entitled to be paid one-half of the amount (including any increases thereof, where appropriate) which would be payable to him or her if only one of them were in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance.”, and (ii) by the deletion of subsection (4), (d) in section 217(2), by the deletion of “, pre-retirement allowance” in both places that it occurs, (e) in section 241(2)(c), by the deletion of “pre-retirement allowance,”, (f) in section 244(1)(c)(i), by the deletion of “pre-retirement allowance,”, (g) in section 248(1), in the definition of “benefit”, by the deletion of paragraph (m), (h) in section 249— (i) in subsection (6), by the deletion of “pre-retirement allowance,”, and (ii) in subsection (6A), by the deletion of “pre-retirement allowance,”, (i) in Part 3 of Schedule 1, by the deletion of paragraph 2, (j) in Schedule 3— (i) in paragraph 1 of Part 2— (I) in subparagraph (1)(a), by the deletion of “, pre-retirement allowance”, (II) in subparagraph (2)(b)(iv)(I), by the deletion of “and pre-retirement allowance”, (III) in subparagraph (2)(b)(v), by the deletion of “, pre-retirement allowance”, (IV) in subparagraph (2)(b)(ix), by the deletion of “, pre-retirement allowance”, (V) in subparagraph (2)(b)(x), by the deletion of “and pre-retirement allowance”, (VI) in subparagraph (4), by the deletion of “pre-retirement allowance,”, and (VII) in subparagraph (7), by the deletion of “and pre-retirement allowance”, and (ii) in Table 1, in Reference No. 1, by the deletion of “, pre-retirement allowance”, and (k) in Schedule 4, in Part 1, by the deletion of “2. Pre-Retirement Allowance:”.

Amendment of sections 64 and 227 of, and Schedule 1 to, Principal Act (update of references to tax regulations)

Provisions) Act 2023)— (i) in subsection (9), by the substitution of “Regulation 31 of the Regulations of 2018” for “Regulation 41 or 42 of the Regulations of 2001” in both places that it occurs, and (ii) in subsection (11), by the substitution of “ ‘Regulations of 2018’ means the Income Tax (Employments) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 345 of 2018)” for “ ‘Regulations of 2001’ means the Income Tax (Employments) (Consolidation) Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 559 of 2001)”, (b) in section 227 (amended by section 16(1) of the Social Welfare and Automatic

Enrolment Retirement Savings System (Amendment) Act 2025), in paragraph (a) of the definition of “weekly family income”, by the substitution of “Regulation 31 of the Income Tax (Employments) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 345 of 2018)” for “Regulations 41 and 42 of the Income Tax (Employments) (Consolidated) Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 559 of 2001)”, and (c) in paragraph 3(b) of Part 3 of Schedule 1, by the substitution of “Regulation 31 of the Income Tax (Employments) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 345 of 2018)” for “Regulations 41 and 42 of the Income Tax (Employments) (Consolidated) Regulations 2001 (S.I. No. 559 of 2001)”.

Amendment of section 68 of Principal Act

References to bereaved partner’s pension

“ ‘pensioner’ means a person who, at the time of his or her death, was in receipt of one of the following payments:

(a) State pension (contributory);

(b) State pension (transition);

(c) invalidity pension;

(d) bereaved partner’s (contributory) pension;

(e) deserted wife’s benefit;

or would have been in receipt of one of those payments but for receipt by the person of a State pension (non-contributory), a blind pension, a bereaved partner’s (non-contributory) pension or a carer’s allowance at a higher rate;”.

pension” for “widow’s (non-contributory) pension, widower’s (non-contributory) pension, surviving civil partner’s (non-contributory) pension” in both places that it occurs.

“(j) bereaved partner’s (contributory) pension;”.

Amendment of section 263 of Principal Act

“(ba) where a request is made under subsection (1F), the date of birth of that person;”, (b) by the insertion of the following subsections after subsection (1C):

“(1D) A person to whom a public services card is issued may, in circumstances other than the carrying out of a transaction, use the card to provide information in respect of his or her identity to any person, whether a specified body or otherwise.

(1E) A person to whom a public services card is issued may, in circumstances other than the carrying out of a transaction, use the card to provide information in respect of his or her date of birth to any person, whether a specified body or otherwise.

(1F) Notwithstanding subsection (1B) and without prejudice to subsection (2), a person— (a) to whom a public services card has been issued, (b) to whom the Minister proposes to issue a public services card, or (c) who is appointed to act on behalf of a person— (i) to whom a public services card has been issued, or (ii) to whom the Minister proposes to issue a public services card, may request the Minister to inscribe on, or delete from, the public services card concerned, the date of birth of the person to whom the card has been, or is proposed to be, issued.”, (c) in subsection (3), by the insertion of “carrying out” after “purposes of”, (d) by the deletion of subsection (4), and (e) by the insertion of the following subsections after subsection (4) (deleted by paragraph (d)):

“(5) A person who uses or attempts to use a public services card, other than— (a) the person who is the holder of the card or a person appointed to act on behalf of the cardholder, (b) a specified body, for the purposes of carrying out a transaction, (c) a person who has a transaction with a specified body where the personal public service number on the card is relevant to the transaction between that person and the specified body, (d) a person who accepts the card under subsection (1D) as information relating to the identity of the cardholder, or (e) a person who accepts the card under subsection (1E) as information relating to the cardholder’s date of birth, is guilty of an offence.

Amendment of section 300A of Principal Act

Officer as the case may be,” after “a deciding officer”.

Affirmation, revision, annulment and remittal by Chief Appeals Officer of decision of appeals officer

10. The Principal Act is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 318:

“318. (1) The Chief Appeals Officer may, at any time—

(a) affirm any decision of an appeals officer, (b) revise any decision of an appeals officer, where it appears to the Chief Appeals Officer that the decision was erroneous by reason of some mistake having been made in relation to the law or the facts, or (c) annul any decision of an appeals officer, where it appears to the Chief Appeals Officer that the decision was erroneous by reason of some mistake having been made in relation to the law or the facts.

Appeals to High Court

11. The Principal Act is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 327:

“327. Any person who is dissatisfied with a decision of an appeals officer, or a decision of the Chief Appeals Officer, may appeal the decision concerned to the High Court on any question of law.”.

PART 3

AMENDMENT OF CIVIL REGISTRATION ACT 2004

Definition (Part 3)

12. In this Part, “Act of 2004” means the Civil Registration Act 2004.

13. Section 13 of the Act of 2004 is amended, in subsection (1), by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (m):

“(m) a register of particulars to which section 30I applies (which shall be known, and is referred to in this Act, as the ‘register of lived identity’).”.

“(e) where the registration relates to a child who is in the care of the Child and Family Agency, if the Child and Family Agency so requests the registrar in writing and produces to him or her a document purporting to be a declaration made under section 35 of the Status of Children Act 1987 or an order made by a court in proceedings referred to in section 45 of that Act, and to be certified by or on behalf of the court to be a true copy of the declaration or order that the person is the father of the child and none of the persons referred to in paragraph (d) has made a request to the registrar under that paragraph.”, (b) by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (4):

“(4) Where one of the persons to whom in any particular case paragraph (d)

or (e) of subsection (2) applies makes a request to a registrar under either of those provisions, the registrar shall, where practicable, notify the other persons referred to in paragraph (d) capable of making a request.”, and (c) in subsection (5)— (i) in paragraph (b), by the substitution of “subsection (2),” for “subsection (2), and”, (ii) in paragraph (c), by the substitution of “subsection (2), and” for “subsection (2).”,and (iii) by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (c):

“(d) where the request has been made under subsection (2)(e), the officer of the Child and Family Agency who made the request.”.

Amendment of section 23A of Act of 2004

“(1A) Where the birth of a child whose parents were not married to each other at the date of the birth or at any time during the period of 10 months ending immediately before that date has been registered (whether or not anybody has been registered as the child’s father) under this Act or the repealed enactments, and where the child is in the care of the Child and Family Agency, a registrar shall re-register the birth in such manner as an tArd-Chláraitheoir may direct and enter in the register the name of a person (in this section referred to as ‘the person’) as the father of the child if the Child and Family Agency so requests the registrar in writing and produces to him or her a document purporting to be a declaration made under section 35 of the Status of Children Act 1987 or an order made by a court in proceedings referred to in section 45 of that Act, and to be certified by or on behalf of the court to be a true copy of the declaration or order that the person is the father of the child and none of the persons referred to in subsection (1) has made a request to the registrar under that subsection.”, (b) by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (4):

“(4) Where one of the persons to whom subsection (1) or (1A) applies makes a request to a registrar under either of those provisions, the registrar shall, where practicable, notify any other persons referred to in subsection (1) capable of making a request and anybody registered as the child’s father as the case may be.”, and (c) in subsection (5)— (i) in paragraph (b), by the substitution of “subsection (1),” for “subsection (1), and”, (ii) in paragraph (c), by the substitution of “subsection (1), and” for “subsection (1).”, and (iii) by the insertion of the following paragraph after paragraph (c):

“(d) where the request is made under subsection (1A), the officer of the Child and Family Agency who made the request.”.

Amendment of section 30F of Act of 2004

“ ‘register’ means the register of lived identity.”.

Error in relevant entry

17. The Act of 2004 is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 30H:

“30H. (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), where an tArd-Chláraitheoir is aware of an error of fact in an entry in the register of births in relation to the particulars of birth of an affected person (in this Part referred to as a ‘relevant entry’), and, having considered any information or documents received in accordance with subsection (1) of section 30G or in accordance with a notice under subsection (2) of that section together with any submissions received in accordance with subsection (3), an tArd-Chláraitheoir is satisfied that the relevant entry is incorrect, he or she may— (a) correct, or cause to be corrected, the relevant entry in the register of births, (b) note the relevant entry in the register of births in accordance with subsection (2), or (c) note the relevant entry in the register of births in accordance with subsection (2) and, where the particulars are not already so registered, register the particulars of the birth of the affected person.

‘General Data Protection Regulation’ means Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 20161 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation);

OJ No. L119, 4.5.2016, p. 1

‘personal data’ has the meaning it has in the General Data Protection Regulation.”.

Register of lived identity

18. The Act of 2004 is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 30I:

“30I. (1) The register that immediately before the coming into operation of

section 18 of the Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Act 2026 was known as the ‘register under Part 3B’ shall on and after that date instead be known as the ‘register of lived identity’ and shall be maintained by an tArd-Chláraitheoir.

Amendment of section 30J of Act of 2004

19. Section 30J of the Act of 2004 is amended, in subsection (3), by the insertion of the following paragraphs after paragraph (a):

“(aa) a person nominated in writing by the person to whom the entry on the register relates;

(ab) a member of the public, where the affected person to whom the entry on the register relates has given his or her permission in that regard in accordance with section 30K(3);”.

Amendment of section 30K of Act of 2004

“(3) An entry on the index maintained under subsection (1) shall be open for public inspection where the person to whom the entry on the index relates gives his or her written permission to an tArd-Chláraitheoir.”.

Notification of death and medical certification of cause of death

21. The Act of 2004 is amended by the substitution of the following section for section 42:

“42. (1) It shall be the duty of—

(a) where a death occurs in a hospital or other institution, the chief officer (by whatever name called) of the hospital or other institution in which the death occurs, or a person authorised by the chief officer to perform his or her functions, or (b) where a death occurs other than in a hospital or other institution, the medical practitioner who attended to the deceased person immediately before or after the death occurred or a person authorised by the medical practitioner to perform his or her functions, to notify an tArd-Chláraitheoir of the death in such manner as he or she may specify, as soon as is practicable and in any case, subject to subsection (4), no later than 5 working days— (i) after the death occurred, or (ii) where section 41(2)(b) applies, after the death has been referred by the coroner under that subparagraph.

22. Section 61 of the Act of 2004 is amended, in subsection (3), by the substitution of “register of lived identity” for “register under Part 3B”.

23. Section 64 of the Act of 2004 is amended by the substitution of the following subsection for subsection (2A):

“(2A) When an tArd-Chláraitheoir is notified, whether under subsection (1)

(b) or otherwise, by any person that an entry made pursuant to section 19(1)(ii) or section 37(1)(ii) contains an error of fact or a clerical error, he or she may enquire into the matter and on completion of that enquiry may, if he or she considers it appropriate to do so, cancel the entry in the register or make a correction of the error in the entry concerned in the register and the original entry shall be retained in the register and the cancellation, or the correction as the case may be, shall be noted in respect of the original entry.”.

Minister”, (b) in subsection (3)(c), by the substitution of “an tArd-Chláraitheoir” for “the Minister”, (c) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (3):

“(3A) Before making regulations under subsection (3), the Minister shall consult with an tArd-Chláraitheoir and the Director General of the Central Statistics Office, and shall have regard to the opinion of each as to what information should be required to be furnished under the regulations.”, (d) in subsection (5), by the substitution of “an tArd-Chláraitheoir” for “the Minister” in both places that it occurs, and (e) in subsection (6)— (i) by the substitution of “an tArd-Chláraitheoir may arrange with the Director

General of the Central Statistics Office” for “the Minister may arrange with any other Minister of the Government”, and (ii) in paragraph (a), by the substitution of “officers of statistics (within the meaning of the Statistics Act 1993)” for “officers of that Minister of the Government”.

Amendment of First Schedule to Act of 2004

PART 4

AMENDMENT OF CHARITIES ACT 2009

Amendment of Charities Act 2009

“(6) In this section—

‘relevant body’ means— (a) a relevant regulator, or (b) a body, or holder of an office, who carries out functions relating to the oversight or monitoring of charitable organisations (where the body or office is prescribed by order of the Minister);

‘relevant Minister’ means, in relation to a relevant body, the Minister of the Government who performs functions in connection with that relevant body;

‘relevant regulator’ means— (a) a body, or holder of an office, in whom functions are vested relating to the regulation of activities or persons for purposes other than the purposes of this Act (where the body or office is established by or under an enactment and is prescribed by order of the Minister), or (b) a body, or holder of an office, in whom functions are vested under the law of a state (other than the State) relating to the regulation of activities or persons in that state for any purpose (where the body or office is prescribed by order of the Minister).”, and (b) in section 77— (i) by the insertion of the following subsections after subsection (2):

“(2A) The quorum for a hearing of the Tribunal shall be 3 of its members.

(2B) At a hearing of the Tribunal— (a) the chairperson of the Tribunal shall, if present, be the chairperson of the hearing, or (b) if and so long as the chairperson of the Tribunal is not present or if that office is vacant, the other members of the Tribunal who are present shall choose one of their number to be chairperson of the hearing.”, and (ii) by the insertion of the following subsection after subsection (5):

“(5A) A person giving evidence at a hearing of the Tribunal shall be entitled to the same immunities and privileges as if he or she were a witness before the High Court.”.

An Bille um Leas Sóisialach, um Chlárú

Sibhialta agus um Charthanais (Leasú), 2026

BILLE

(mar a tionscnaíodh)

dá ngairtear

Acht do leasú agus do leathnú na nAchtanna Leasa

Shóisialaigh; do leasú an Achta um Chlárú Sibhialta, 2004; do leasú an Achta Carthanas, 2009; agus do dhéanamh socrú i dtaobh nithe gaolmhara.

An tAire Coimirce Sóisialaí a thíolaic, 10 Meán Fómhair, 2026

Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026

BILL

(as initiated)

entitled

An Act to amend and extend the Social Welfare

Acts; to amend the Civil Registration Act 2004; to amend the Charities Act 2009; and to provide for related matters.

Presented by the Minister for Social Protection, 10th September, 2026

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