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

On 15 February, the Government approved the general scheme of the regulation of lobbying (amendment) Bill 2022. The general scheme has been published and referred to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach for pre-legislative scrutiny. I have instructed my officials to give the committee whatever support it requires in terms of briefing or clarification in respect of any of the heads of the Bill and I have asked that this issue be prioritised, if at all possible, given the key role that regulation of lobbying legislation plays in supporting transparency and citizen participation. I acknowledge the very large workload facing the committee at this time.

In tandem with pre-legislative scrutiny, my officials will work closely with the Office of the Attorney General on the priority drafting of the Bill. The key features of the Bill include: an extension of the definition of lobbying to ensure that business representative bodies and coalitions of business interests, regardlessof the number of employees, are brought within the scope of the legislation; improvements in the functionality of the lobbying register for those who carry on lobbying activities and are required to make returns; a strengthening of the existing legislation and its enforcement, including the introduction of an anti-avoidance clause; and the implementation of a scheme of administrative and civil sanctions for contravening the cooling-off period provisions.

I anticipate that the Bill will be drafted and published in the coming months and that it will be enacted as soon as possible thereafter. I acknowledge the work of our colleague and former Minister, Deputy Howlin, in bringing forward the 2015 Act which was ground-breaking for its time and set the template for many European countries to bring in similar regimes, but it now requires updating. I acknowledge the work done by Deputy Farrell on this issue as well. Lobbying is part of a democratic process but it is important we know who is lobbying, who is being lobbied and the purpose of that lobbying. Reforming and modernising the system is the appropriate thing to do.

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