Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I firmly believe we need legislation to ensure that professional and corporate lobbyists are obliged to be registered, and that the lobbying industry would be regulated. We saw the extraordinary scenario in the not too distant past in the Flood and Mahon tribunal that showed how a lobbyist extraordinaire, Frank Dunlop, virtually corrupted an entire planning process in the capital city of this country. Public representatives were bribed, as were council officials. In the Moriarty tribunal we saw how large portions of money were given to individuals, particularly to political representatives, for nefarious purposes and that undermined the democratic process.

We have a responsibility to ensure our house is in order and that the entire political establishment is above reproach. One way to do this is by having appropriate legislation in place so that anybody engaged in lobbying public representatives for planning, ministerial decisions or any other activity must be properly registered and their activities regulated.

That is not the case at present. There is no regulation or register of lobbyists in this country and anybody can operate with impunity in the area. The Labour Party tried to address the issue in 1999 when we introduced a Registration of Lobbyists Bill in the Seanad. It was a colleague of ours, Pat Gallagher, who was then a Senator and had earlier been a Deputy, who introduced the first piece of legislation. When that was rejected we tried again in 2003, 2005 and 2008. On all occasions, Fianna Fáil-led Governments rejected the attempt to put the registration and regulation of lobbyists on a statutory footing.

The first programme for Government of the present coalition, which was agreed by the Green Party and Fianna Fáil two and a half years ago, included a provision to give a statutory basis to the regulation of lobbyists. Nothing has happened over the last two and a half years, however. The most recent version of the programme for Government, which was signed by Fianna Fáil and the Green Party a couple of weeks ago, contains the bare statement that "we will introduce a Register of Lobbyists, including professional, corporate and NGO". If it is lucky, the Government will have two and a half years to deliver on that promise. That is the maximum period it will have. It will test the mettle of the Green Party, which loudly proclaimed when it was in Opposition that it intended to provide for an ethical basis for politics across the board. It now has an opportunity to do so.

I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Áine Brady, to clearly state whether legislation is being prepared at present. Two and a half years have gone by without an inkling of any legislation. A fresh commitment has been made. I would welcome a commitment to introduce legislation at an early stage so that it can be debated properly. If we are to ensure that the profession of politics is strengthened, we need to put in place a statutory basis which ensures that those who might engage in lobbying, for one reason or another, have to abide by proper regulations and sign up to a register of lobbyists.

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