The Minister for Justice sought Cabinet approval to widen the scope of the Criminal Law and Civil Law Bill.
This will address concerns around counselling notes in sexual offences trials, as well as paving the way for legislation to quash historical convictions for consensual same-sex activity.
The legislation will also contain a list of new offences where bail can be refused.
Minister Jim O'Callaghan intends to make it the default position that counselling notes are not disclosed, save for the very small number of cases where disclosure is warranted in the interest of justice.
The legislation will require that a disclosure hearing take place in all cases.
That means counselling records will only be released where a judge decides they are relevant.
The minister will also introduce a scheme that will disregard historical convictions relating to consensual same-sex activity.
And he is to draw up new offences where bail can be refused, including threats to a person assisting a criminal investigation or to someone who is a witness or juror.
Those who fail to comply with the Sex Offenders Act can also be refused bail in future.
Harmful AI-generated images
Minister for Media Patrick O’Donovan told Cabinet colleagues that Ireland’s EU Presidency will push to add harmful AI-generated images to the list of prohibited practices under the EU’s AI Act.
Mr O’Donovan will ask Coimisiún na Meán to lead an information campaign on this type of content.
He updated colleagues on his plans to soon begin a pilot age verification system through the national digital wallet in a bid to keep children safe online.
Speaking as he arrived at Government Buildings this morning, Tánaiste Simon Harris said the issue of online safety will be a priority during Ireland's EU presidency.
He said the health and well-being of young people is "being experimented on by social media companies".
"I think we need to move as many European countries now are to saying there should be an age before which you should not be on social media," he said.
"Social media can no longer operate in the Wild West," he said.
He added that he believes children under 16 should not be on social media.
Mr Harris added: "I think we're approaching a public health emergency in relation to this issue.
"Our children are not guinea pigs, and yet, their brains, their health, their well-being, their mental health, their anxiety levels, are effectively being experimented upon by technology companies, and that causes a significant concern."
New guardian ad litem National Service
Minister for Children Norma Foley updated the Government on the new guardian ad litem National Service.
A guardian ad litem is an independent person appointed by a court to advise on the best interests of the child in public court proceedings.
Around 3,500 children currently have a court-appointed guardian ad litem.
The decision to reform the system dates back to 2014, when the current service was found to be inconsistent.
The new guardian ad litem National Service is due to commence in the middle of this year.
Separately, Minister for Higher Education James Lawless brought a memo to the Cabinet on TrustEd Ireland.
It is Ireland's new statutory quality mark for international education.
Education providers intending to recruit non-EU/EEA/Swiss students will have to get authorisation to use the TrustEd Ireland mark.
Additional reporting Róisín Cullen
