CITIZEN How do changes in the law affect how we live?


Changing the law can have a big effect on people’s lives. To understand how, let’s have a look at some recent changes to Irish law that had major everyday impacts.


Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996 Following a close decision in a referendum, divorce was made legal in Ireland with the passing of this law. The first divorce under Irish law took place the following year, in 1997. Before this, couples could legally separate, but it was not possible to re-marry under Irish law.


Public Health (Tobacco) Acts 2004


Irish law was changed in 2004 to outlaw smoking in workplaces and enclosed public spaces such as pubs, restaurants and public transport. Before this law passed, avoiding second-hand smoke in public was very difficult for non-smokers.


Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 2004


The result of a referendum on the nature of Irish citizenship, this act changed the law so that children born in the Republic were no longer automatically Irish citizens unless at least one of their parents was an Irish citizen. This law has since meant that many children of migrants who were born and have lived all of their lives in Ireland do not have an automatic right to Irish citizenship.


Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Act 2008


During the financial crash of 2008, when many Irish banks like AIB, Bank of Ireland and Anglo-Irish Bank were threatened with collapse, the Irish government passed an emergency law that made the government and the Irish public responsible for paying the debts of the biggest Irish banks if they could not do so themselves.


This ultimately led to Ireland needing a financial bailout (emergency loan) from the IMF, the World Bank and the European Central Bank. Years of cuts to public services and a drop in living standards for most citizens followed, while the government struggled to get the debt under control.


Marriage Act 2015


Following a referendum, the law was changed to allow civil marriage between partners of the same sex. Before this, full marriages in Ireland could only take place between partners of opposite sexes.


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