6. Civil Liability (Contract and Tort) and Dispute Resolution

Updated to 3 September 2024 (Act No. 30 of 2024 and S.I. No. of 442 of 2024)

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6.1. General Principles of Civil Liability

Justice 1 41/1961
Justice
  • none
17/1964
Justice
  • none
42/1996
Justice 2 31/2004
Health
  • none
12/1998
Justice 3 23/2011
Justice 30/2017
1

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

2

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

3

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 480 of 2011. 

4 This SI referred to Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2012 in error, and was superseded by S.I. No. 215 of 2012.

6.2. Civil Liability: Contract

Justice
  • none
7 Will. 3, c. 12
Justice
  • none
9 Geo. 4, c. 14
Justice
  • none
37 & 38 Vict., c. 62
Enterprise
  • none
56 & 57 Vict., c. 71
Enterprise
  • none
16/1980
Justice 8/1991
Enterprise 6 34/2013
5 The 2011 Report of the Sales Law Review Group, available at www.djei.ie, recommended the repeal and replacement of the Sale of Goods Act 1893 and the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act 1980 (and related Regulations that implemented relevant EU Directives). The Scheme of a Consumer Protection Bill 2015, available at www.djei.ie, proposes to replace the 1893 and 1980 Acts (and related Regulations) insofar as they apply to contracts between businesses and individual consumers (a further Bill is planned to repeal and replace the 1893 and 1980 Acts and related Regulations insofar as they apply to such contracts made between businesses). See also Title 7.14 (Commercial Law: Sale of Goods and Supply of Services), below.
6 Ministerial responsibility was transferred from Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation by Construction Contracts (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2014 (S.I. No. 476 of 2014).

6.3. Civil Liability: Tort (Non-Contractual Liability)

6.3.1. Animals

Justice 11/1985

6.3.2. Common Carriers

Transport
  • none
11 Geo. 4 & 1 Will. 4, c. 68

6.3.3. Defamation

Justice 31/2009

6.3.4. Employer’s Liability and Public Liability

Enterprise 7 10/2005
Justice
  • none
38/1958
7

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

8 For full list of Acts on this see Heading 14: Employment Law.

6.3.5. Fire

Justice
  • none
8/1943

6.3.6. Holidays

Enterprise/Transport 9 17/1995
9

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011 and Gaeltacht (in part): see S.I. No. 217 of 2011. 

10

Enforcement through Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) (established by Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014), as successor to National Consumer Agency (incorporated into the CCPC by the 2014 Act).

6.3.7. Hotels

Justice
  • none
7/1963

6.3.8. Malicious Damage to Property

Justice 9/1981
Justice
  • none
27/1986
Justice 15/1923
Justice
  • none
43/1923
Justice
  • none
42/1924
Justice
  • none
19/1926
Justice 35/1933
Public Exp 24/1941
Justice 13 19/1946
Justice
  • none
15/1949
11 This Act, its amending Acts and associated SIs are obsolete and should be repealed and revoked.
12 SIs made under this Act are outdated and should be considered for revocation.
13

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

14 This Act, its amending Act and associated SIs are obsolete and should be repealed and revoked. Amending SIs listed in the 1946 Act may remain in force and should also be revoked: S.R. & O. Nos. 7 of 1943, 231 of 1943, 271 of 1943 and 433 of 1943.

6.3.9. Occupiers’ Liability

Justice
  • none
10/1995

6.3.10. Product Liability

Enterprise 28/1991
15 Amendments include those made by European Communities (Liability for Defective Products) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 401 of 2000).

6.3.11. Road Traffic and Transport

Transport 16 24/1961
16

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

17 See also Heading 36: Transport.

6.3.12. Sea Pollution

Transport 18 11/1988
Transport 13/1998
Transport 33/2003
18 Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) currently under auspices of Transport.

6.4. Limitation Periods

Justice
  • none
6/1957
Justice
  • none
18/1991
Justice
  • none
13/2000
Justice 19
  • none
27/1954
19 Introduced to Oireachtas by Minister for Justice in 1954.

6.5. Management of Civil Claims Involving State Bodies (State Claims Agency)

Finance 39/2000

6.6. Civil Legal Aid

Justice 20 32/1995
20

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011.

6.7. Arbitration and Mediation

6.7.1. Arbitration

Justice 21
  • none
1/2010
21

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

22 This Act, s. 4 repealed Arbitration Acts 1954 to 1998, including Arbitration Act 1980 (7/1980). Without a saver provision, S.I. No. 41 of 2000 made under the 1980 Act, s. 6 appears to have ceased to be in force, and should be revoked.

6.7.2. Mediation

Justice 27/2017

6.8. Non-Judicial Compensation Assessment Arrangements

6.8.1. Personal Injuries Assessment Board

Enterprise 23 46/2003
Enterprise
  • none
35/2007
Enterprise 3/2019
Enterprise 42/2022
23

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

24 Superseded by Personal Injuries Assessment Board (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2007, S.I. No. 869 of 2007, this SI should be revoked.
25 Superseded by Personal Injuries Assessment Board (Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2011, S.I. No. 41 of 2011, this SI should be revoked.

6.8.2. Compensation and Redress Bodies

Health 26 34/1997
Health 21/2002
Health 22/2006
Education 28 13/2002
Education
  • none
16/2011
Education 35/2012
Environ 51/2013
Children 29 8/2015
Health 26/2019
Health 31/2019
Health
  • none
22/2021
Children 20/2023
26

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011 and S.I. No. 480 of 2011. 

27 The enabling provisions are Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal Act 1997 (34/1997), ss. 4(14)(d) and 9. Both enabling provisions have been amended by Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal (Amendment) Act 2002 (21/2002), ss. 4 and 6 respectively. There still appears to be a statutory basis for these regulations.
28

Public Exp (in part): see S.I. No. 418 of 2011. 

29

See S.I. No. 436 of 2020. 

6.9. ECA Section 3 Statutory Instruments

Foreign 27/1972