Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Nash and Mairéad Farrell for their questions. I propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 89 together.

Section 22 of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 provides that certain designated public officials, the lobbied, are restricted from being engaged in lobbying in certain circumstances for a year after they leave their employment or office, unless they have obtained permission from the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. In effect, they are subject to a one year “cooling-off” period.

The general purpose of section 22 is to manage the potential for conflicts of interest between the public and private sectors and to place restrictions on what is often referred to as a “revolving door” between the public and private sectors. The Taoiseach outlined in the Dáil recently that section 22 of the Act should be reviewed by my Department and this review is under way. The review will include: seeking and considering the advice of the Office of the Attorney General on a range of possible enforcement provisions to be applied in respect of section 22; consultation with, and consideration of, the views of the SIPO; review of recent Bills published regarding the matter, including that published by Deputy Nash; and reflection on relevant proposals already made in public submissions to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the context of either the first review, in 2017, or second statutory review, in 2020, in respect of the Act.

This is a complex matter. Any amendment to section 22 must factor in issues such as the rights of a person to work and the proportionality of any sanctions that may be imposed. Sufficient time is required to allow for full consideration and deliberation, prior to any decision and subsequent actions being taken. The Deputies have identified the key issue. It is the lack of enforcement provisions regarding section 22, and I am committed to acting on that issue. I look forward, once the review is complete, to bringing proposals to Government and then to the House.

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