Royal assent (Ireland)

Royal Assent is the final stage in the enactment of a bill in the Republic of Ireland under its current constitutional framework. Although formally required, Royal Assent is now a purely symbolic act. The President of Ireland performs this function, acting on the advice of the Government, effectively rubber-stamping legislation that has passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas (Parliament).

Prior to the Statute of Westminster 1931 and the later adoption of the Republic of Ireland Constitution in 1937, Royal Assent was given on behalf of the British monarch by the Governor-General of the Irish Free State. The Statute of Westminster recognised the legislative independence of the Dominions, including the Irish Free State, but it was the 1937 Constitution that fully removed the British monarch's direct role in the legislative process.

Under the current Constitution, once a bill has been passed by Dáil Éireann (the lower house) and Seanad Éireann (the upper house) and any disputes regarding its constitutionality have been resolved (either by the President referring the bill to the Supreme Court or choosing not to do so within the time limit specified by the Constitution), the bill is presented to the President for signature. The President, acting on the advice of the Government, signs the bill, and this signature constitutes Royal Assent (though the term "Royal Assent" is a legacy term, as the President is the Head of State of the Republic of Ireland, not a monarch). Upon being signed by the President, the bill becomes an Act of the Oireachtas (law) and comes into effect on a date specified in the Act or, if no date is specified, upon its signature by the President. The formality of Royal Assent is a testament to the historical evolution of Irish law and its relationship with the British Crown, but in contemporary Ireland, it is a purely ceremonial act.