Emergency laws to help parents get birth certs, regulate planning and ban evictions

Measures to reduce human contact and to still allow key state activities to proceed are included in emergency laws due in the Dáil this week.

The Irish Examiner understands that the special Covid-19 linked legislation will include easier ways for parents to get birth certificates while the rules on planning will also be addressed.

The Cabinet met today to agree a raft of emergency supports, including for workers and businesses.

But the emergency laws, while focusing on banning evictions and rent hikes during the virus emergency period, will also ease bureaucratic rules for a number of activities.

These include the difficulties parents with newborns may have in trying to secure birth certificates, while avoiding human contact.

It is also understood that problems around planning will be addressed in the new laws.

Ways for medical professionals to re-register with authorities will also be among the laws as will arrangements for former defence force members to help with the response to the emergency will be included.

Parties and TDs are expected to debate the raft of emergency laws on both Thursday and Friday of this week.

Opposition parties were briefed on the emergency laws at government buildings today.

The measures come amid uncertainty whether the outgoing government will have the power to pass further laws without the full formation of the next Seanad, the count for which gets underway next week.

In the absence of a new government or Taoiseach, 11 members of the Upper House cannot be appointed and the Seanad could be left in a state of limbo, potentially unable to approve emergency laws tabled by the government.