Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Should he be debarred? Maybe I am asking the wrong person that question. Let me make it easier - should the Minister for Health be allowed to be a doctor again? The embargo on lobbying will not only apply to officeholders, but also to senior public servants. What grates with people is that senior public servants dealing with an industry or an issue can seamlessly move within a month of leaving office to the other side of the fence, well-armed with information. A year is a reasonable time for cooling off because matters move on without unnecessarily impacting on a citizen’s right to earn a living. Otherwise, we may have to pay people for that period given.

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