Statute Law Revision Act 2024 signed into law

The Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment, Emer Higgins and Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers have welcomed the signing into law of the Statute Law Revision Act 2024.

This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing work to modernise and simplify Ireland’s legislative framework. The Statute Law Revision Act 2024 (SLRB 2024) is the latest in a long series of legislative measures aimed at improving the accessibility, clarity, and relevance of Ireland’s statute book. It forms part of the Statute Law Revision Programme, Ireland’s national initiative to identify and repeal obsolete legislation, both primary and secondary.

Many of the repeals offer remarkable insight into the social and administrative fabric of earlier times. Among the more than 3,000 instruments to be repealed are over 2,500 proclamations offering rewards for the apprehension of suspected criminals. These include specific proclamations addressing several distinctive forms of criminal activity such as:

• breaking eggs;
• burning cowsheds and outhouses;
• beating with nettles; and
• posting threatening notices about land, voting and potatoes

These matters would now be dealt with through entirely different regulatory channels. The Bill also revokes hundreds of county-specific proclamations, with Tipperary alone accounting for 426, reflecting the region’s historical social unrest. Dublin, by contrast, had 71. One particularly poignant example is a proclamation prescribing a specific prayer to be used during the Great Famine, highlighting the deep interweaving of civil and religious life in 19th-century Ireland.

These instruments, while often curious or archaic, have remained on the statute book, creating unnecessary complexity. Their removal is an important step in ensuring that Ireland’s legal system remains modern, relevant, and fit for purpose.

This Act joins six previous Statute Law Revision Acts to form the most comprehensive set of repealing measures in the history of the State – and indeed, the most extensive statute law revision effort ever undertaken globally.

Minister Higgins stated:

“This Act is a landmark moment in our ongoing commitment for legislative clarity and transparency. By repealing over 3,000 outdated instruments, we are not only decluttering our statute book but also making it more accessible and understandable for all.

"The work of the Law Reform Commission and the department in reviewing over 40,000 instruments has been meticulous and invaluable. While the repeals offer a snapshot of our country’s rich history, this is about ensuring that our laws reflect the Ireland of today – not the Ireland of centuries past.”

Minister Chambers added:

“I welcome the signing into law of this important legislation which marks an important step in our ongoing work to modernise Ireland’s legislative framework. Many of the repeals offer insight into the priorities and challenges faced by our country in times gone by and their repeal provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made as a society."

This Act was first introduced in the Seanad on 23 October 2024 and passed the final stage in the Dáil on 9 July 2025. It was signed into law by the President on July 25th 2025. The principal purpose of the Bill is to repeal obsolete secondary instruments enacted on or after 1 January 1821 and before 1 January 1861.

The Bill also repeals all secondary legislation enacted before 1 January 1821 that remains technically in force but is no longer relevant, and which was not already repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 2015.

The instruments were reviewed in a public consultation led by the Law Reform Commission, and are listed in the two schedules to the Bill: Schedule 1 lists the instruments to be retained, while Schedule 2 lists the instruments to be repealed.