Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is one of the Bills that members of the Opposition are almost compelled to welcome because the principles behind it are unarguable. The problem is whether the Bill goes far enough. We welcome the Bill because of some of its provisions but it is minimalist in its approach. Lobbyists tend to be unpopular and we tend to think of big business, the gun lobby in America, the tobacco lobby and other powerful bodies that have managed to control politicians in a way that I hope does not exist here. However, the slow welcome by the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, IBEC, to the Bill is indicative of the fact that there are, within IBEC, bankers, other big businesses and monopolies that are slow to represent any restrictions on lobbyists.

I regret that and it is part of the reason this Bill does not go far enough.

I wish to address not just the issue of lobbyists for big business but the issues which have attracted so much attention in recent weeks, the issue of lobbying for jobs, a subject which for some reason is not part of this Bill. Anyone from a rural constituency will be familiar with the actions of many people who come to constituency offices or go to politicians' clinics and lobby for places in the Judiciary, who lobby for seats in the District Courts and are given them by virtue of the patronage which this Government and all Governments hold in that area. This Bill is part of a pattern which we hope will be added to when the Minister introduces his memorandum about semi-State bodies but it would have been preferable if all lobbying for State positions and in particular for positions in the Judiciary were included in this Bill. I would prefer to see that lobbying not just of politicians but lobbying by politicians were included in this Bill so that a complete record of communications made by politicians when they are looking to see that their pals receive crucial jobs, is on the record. That would put a fast end to the sort of activities we have seen in recent weeks. Why do we not see the hidden hand which controls these jobs which for decades have been given as part of the spoils of war by Ministers to their pals?

I am unable to envisage the legislation which it appears is about to be introduced in November or the new rules to tackle this particular problem. I can see that it will address it cosmetically and I am not reassured at this stage by the words of the Minister yesterday when he said that criteria would be published on the website, that weightings would be applied and names published and that the process would be in the hands of the public advertising system which is being set up. The problem is not being addressed at all. The problem so obviously apparent but not recognised in what the Taoiseach or the Minister said yesterday is that we can no longer trust Ministers to make the choice of appointments. We know that and we know also that we have seen totally and utterly cosmetic systems put up by the present Government to disguise the fact that all the old rackets are still going on, that it is still appointing people ad nauseam, not just to semi-State bodies but to other bodies. It is not sufficient for people on the Government side to say in the media, "We have appointed 200 people through the public appointments system, the new public application and advertising system". I do not think I am in order to name people but some of them turn out to be former Fine Gael Deputies; they go through the system but they are still chosen because the Ministers make the choice. I was alarmed when I heard that the Ministers will get a list from which they will then choose someone who is experienced enough and has the expertise, as decided by politicians who have disgraced themselves in this particular field in the past.

It is not just semi-State bodies that should be attacked but it is also the Judiciary. I could name but I will not do so-----

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