Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My amendment, No. 48, proposes the inclusion of senior public servants of the rank of Secretary General down to principal officers, as well as regulators and management boards of public bodies. The thrust of it is in line with what Deputy Fleming set out. I have just come at it in a slightly different way. We know that in the case of all three of these categories, they are on the receiving end of lobbying. All are in a position to make decisions and, indeed, make recommendations, that are material to the relevant matters described in section 5(7). I appreciate that the Minister empowers himself to include these categories as designated public officials in future by virtue of the discretionary powers provided for in section 6(1)(f) and (g), but I do not see any reason not to include them at the outset for the avoidance of any doubt.