Oireachtas

The Oireachtas is Ireland's national Parliament. Its constitutional composition includes the President and two legislative chambers: Dáil Éireann, the lower house, and Seanad Éireann, the upper house. The Houses debate proposed laws and use committees to examine government business. Committees also hear public evidence, giving parliamentary scrutiny a role beyond debate in the main chambers.

Primary legislation takes the form of Acts of the Oireachtas. A Bill normally moves through stages covering its introduction, general principles, detailed examination, amendments and final approval. Committee Stage allows members to examine its provisions section by section. Parliamentary passage precedes presidential signature. Publication of a government proposal therefore begins a process whose parliamentary decisions determine the legislation that reaches the President.