How Oireachtas Petitions Work — A Quick Guide
What the Oireachtas Petition System is:
- The Oireachtas Petitions System lets any member of the public raise issues of general public concern directly with the Irish Parliament.
- Handled by the Joint Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsmen.
- Only one signature is needed to submit a petition.
What you can petition about?
- The petition must relate to something the Oireachtas has power to act on (laws, policy, public administration).
- It must follow parliamentary rules and be respectful and non-defamatory.
- It cannot relate to ongoing court cases.
- It cannot repeat a previously closed petition from the same person in the same parliamentary term.
- Should show you’ve tried other routes first (e.g., contacting the relevant public body or Ombudsman).
How to submit a petition?
- Submit online using the official portal, or
- Request and return a paper form by post.
- Petitions can be written in Irish or English.
What happens after you submit?
- Committee reviews admissible petitions at its regular meetings.
- You may be invited to appear before the Committee.
- Committee may request written or oral evidence from government departments or other bodies.
- Possible outcomes:
- Referral to another Oireachtas committee
- Referral to the Ombudsman or another oversight body
- A formal report with recommendations to the Dáil or Seanad
- Closure of the petition if no further action is considered necessary
Why it matters?
Submitting a petition:
- Gives ordinary people a direct line into Parliament.
- Helps raise issues that deserve national attention.
- Encourages scrutiny of public bodies and can influence policy debates.
Example of a Petition Relating to Animal Welfare
View the petition made in relation to the ban on surgical artificial insemination in greyhounds.
Further Information
Visit oireachtas.ie.
