This week, the Irish Parliament (known as the Dáil) passed a very important new Bill that redressed a major inconsistency in the law, which had allowed convictions for same-sex activity. The new Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026, included a scheme to disregard historic convictions for these alleged offences. 

In 1993, homosexuality was decriminalised in Ireland following a landmark case brought by former Senator David Norris to the European Court of Human Rights. Before this change, at least 941 men were convicted of so-called “homosexual acts” under the law, though the true figure may exceed 2,000, according to the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL).

“It is a landmark moment for LGBTI+ rights and for human rights in Ireland. Men will no longer carry the consequences of laws that should never have existed in the first place,” said activist Kieran Rose of the LGBT+ Restorative Justice Campaign.  He added. “While the Disregards Scheme cannot undo the trauma of persecution, it will nullify any convictions for consensual same-sex activity and remove the stain of a criminal record.”

The Victorian-era law that criminalised homosexuality was introduced under British rule and carried into the state upon Independence. Brian Sheehan of the LGBT+ Restorative Justice Campaign spoke about the decades of campaigning it took to introduce redress measures after that law was repealed.

“On the 25th anniversary of that repeal, the State offered an apology to those persecuted under the laws, and recognised the harms the laws did to the broader LGBTI+ community,” Sheehan said. “It has taken a further seven years of campaigning to get to last night’s legislation which will provide some redress to those who lives were severely blighted by cruel laws that criminalised ordinary loving relationships.”

The bill failed to include provisions for those dishonourably discharged from the military in similar circumstances, exclusion of those convicted pre-independence, and has limitations on those who can make an application for a deceased person and on the time limit for applications. However, Jim O’Callaghan, Minister for Justice of Ireland has indicated that he would be open to amendments as the bill now progresses to the Seanad.