Ireland: keeping a future generations commission on the agenda

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What Ireland did

The Commission for Future Generations Bill 2023 was introduced in the Dáil to establish an independent body dedicated to safeguarding the interests of future Irish citizens. The proposed commission would advise the government on creating an Office of Ombudsman for Future Generations and assess how public bodies and departments can build long-term sustainability into their operations.

Photo by Anna Church on Unsplash 

How it Delivered

The bill lapsed, but the idea did not. Organisations including Coalition 2030 and the National Youth Council of Ireland expressed strong support, highlighting the bill's alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals and the need for long-term policy planning, and it has since been reintroduced to the Oireachtas. Advocacy by more than 70 groups, including trade unions and NGOs, continues to press for a Future Generations Commissioner, and campaigners are working to make the future generations agenda a priority for Ireland's 2026 Presidency of the Council of the EU.

What Made it Work?

Breadth of coalition. Support spanning youth organisations, unions and development NGOs signals to politicians that this is not a niche cause but a widely shared demand, and it keeps the proposal alive between parliamentary sessions.

Future Generations Takeaway

Legislation for future generations sometimes takes more than one attempt to pass. Ireland shows the value of a patient, broad-based movement that treats a lapsed bill as a pause rather than a defeat. Keeping the future open takes stamina.

This case study is based on one kindly shared with us by the us by School of International Futures (SOIF) and can be found in their digital implementation handbook: 'One Year in Practice: Stories of Global Action for Future Generations'.  We have updated and expanded some case studies with more recent developments and additional sources where relevant.