Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

This is necessarily a criticism. It is in keeping with regulations that are clearly laid out. What exactly is the Minister's understanding of lobbying? Does he accept that seeking to influence senior Ministers in relation to the awarding of a plum job constitutes lobbying? In the case of Katherine Zappone, we know she contacted the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, and the Tánaiste. She contacted Ireland's ambassador to the UN, Geraldine Byrne Nason, and she also contacted the Minister for Foreign Affairs about the job and asking for an introduction to Samantha Power. She contacted both Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Coveney. How does the Minister not believe that to be lobbying? It makes me wonder who else is contacting him that we do not know about if he does not interpret that as lobbying. Why does that not appear in the register of lobbying? Katherine Zappone contacted the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, who then contacted the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, and that does not appear in the lobbying register. When the former Minister, Katherine Zappone, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, contacted the Minister, there was an obligation on him to place that on the register of lobbying.