Bill to increase number of Seanad election voters on Cabinet's agenda
Seanad The Higher Will Hold The Of Education Bill To Franchise Who Of Of Extend For Electing University Citizenship éireann Designated Irish Institutions Graduates Members
Changes that would increase the number of people who can vote in Seanad elections are to be discussed by Cabinet on Tuesday.
Minister Darragh O'Brien is to bring forward a bill which will create a new six-seat "Higher Education" constituency for electing university members, replacing the existing NUI and University of Dublin (Trinity College Dublin) constituencies.
The changes arise from a Supreme Court ruling on constitutionality on how university members are elected to the Seanad.
The bill will extend the franchise for electing university members of Seanad Éireann to graduates of designated institutions of higher education who hold Irish citizenship.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is expected to get Government approval to draft laws to ban the sale of disposable vapes on environmental and public health grounds.
This will introduce a complete ban on the sale, manufacture, or import of single-use vapes in Ireland.
The legislation will also introduce a ban on the multitude of flavours of nicotine inhaling products that often appeal to younger people.
Mr Donnelly will also update Cabinet on the projected increase in GP numbers that will see the current level of seven doctors per 10,000 population improve to between nine and 10 per 10,000 in the coming years.
Finance Minister Jack Chambers will update Government on the interim investment strategy for the State’s new Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate, and Nature Fund.
While work continues on the long-term investment strategy to gain maximum returns, an interim investment strategy will see the funds placed in low-risk and highly-rated liquid investments.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin will update colleagues on the unfolding events in the Middle East.
The Tánaiste and Taoiseach Simon Harris have repeatedly expressed Ireland’s grave concerns about the humanitarian crisis and called for urgent progress to secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Finally, Enterprise Minister Peter Burke will being forward measures which will mean that Government decisions will have to go through a new test to assess the impact on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) before being approved.
The proposal will introduce an initiative to minimise the regulatory burden on SMEs and will be included in the Cabinet handbook, the internal guide used by departments to prepare memos for Government.