This section gives an overview of legislation relevant to social work practice in the Republic of Ireland. For a more detailed interpretation of the relevant legislation the signposting could usefully be followed. When in employment social workers will also need to familiarise themselves with the specifics of their agencies and the particular statutory functions and legislation to which they relate.
We have divided this section into thematic areas, which may be overlapping (e.g. child and family legislation may be relevant to criminal justice).
For a full list of all legislation of the Republic of Ireland, the British and Irish Legal Information Institute can be consulted at: www.bailii.org
Guide to Irish Law (2001, revised 2005) by Darius Whelan is available at: http://www.ucc.ie/law/irishlaw/guide/
In September 2001, as part of its contribution to the BAILII project, UCC Law Faculty established IRLII (Irish Legal Information Initiative). IRLII is intended to complement, rather than compete with, BAILII. Apart from providing BAILLI with Irish content, IRLII also offers a number of unique services such as:
Irish Legal Information Initiative (IRLII): www.ucc.ie/law/irlii/
All Acts and Statutory Instruments passed in the Republic of Ireland between 1922 and 2009 are covered in the Irish Statute Book available from the Office of the Attorney General, Government Buildings, Dublin 2 or Tel: (01) 6616944. They are also available on-line at www.irishstatutebook.ie
This latter database - http://www.irishstatutebook.ie - contains, amongst other things, a list of abbreviations and alphabetical and chronological lists of Acts, Statutory Instruments and orders from 1922 to 2009. Importantly this database provides a powerful search mechanism which can be used to identify relevant Acts, Statutory Instruments and orders. This database enables users of Irish Statutes to identify whether a particular provision has been amended or otherwise affected since its enactment. This database does not refer to amendments effected prior to 1922.
www.oireachtas.ie is a government website providing all Acts in portable document format, it also provides a list of all upcoming Bills with a function where the progression of new Bills in the Seanad and the Oireachtas can be monitored.
www.acts.ie contains the Acts of the Oireachtas in Irish and in English from 1922 to the present day. The Irish and English language versions of each Act are linked together so that it is possible to move from a particular section in an Act in one language to the same section of the Act in the other language. Additionally, searches can be carried out for words and phrases in the two languages, that is to say, Irish language words can be searched for within the Irish language database and English language words can be searched for in the English language database.
Copies of legislative documents referred to in this section can be purchased at the
Government Publications Sales Office
Sun Alliance House, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: (01) 6476879.
Exclusive power of making laws is vested in the national parliament, the Oireachtas.
Check Section 2 for further information on the political system.
The Criminal Courts structure can be found at: http://www.lawlibrary.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=16
Information on the Civil Courts structure can be found at: http://www.lawlibrary.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=15
Details of the Drug Court Treatment Programme can be found at: http://www.courts.ie/offices.nsf/lookuppagelink/5C3FCB8E070ADAA280256E7B003B1D9F
The drugs courts are based on a treatment orientated approach with substantial input from teams of professionals.
For further information see the Irish Courts Service website www.courts.ie
The constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, underlies all legislation and social policy in the Republic of Ireland. Its interpretation in court has the power to influence any new policies brought in.
The constitution lays a strong emphasis on the importance of the family and on parental rights and obligations. Article 41 encompasses the principle of low state intervention in the family and prescribes the "inalienable and imprescriptible rights antecedent and superior to all positive law" that the family possesses.
Bunreacht na hÉireann is available from any bookseller or Government Publications.
Check Section 2 for further information on the constitution and the political system .
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