Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I look forward to getting the views of the committee, of which both Deputies opposite are members. Separate legislation on the register of lobbying is mentioned in the article in The Irish Times instanced by the Deputy. It, too, is groundbreaking legislation and will be important.

We have to see the entire suite of legislation as a new reform architecture. The last time my party was in Government we were anxious to do that and Eithne FitzGerald, as Minister at the time, introduced the freedom of information legislation, the Ethics in Public Office Act and the Electoral Act. We need to augment these with the lobbying Bill, further freedom of information legislation, the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act and all such others on the political reform agenda that, hopefully, will be enacted in the coming period.

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