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

I assure Deputy Farrell of my personal commitment to addressing this issue. I do not believe it is acceptable that when we have spent hundreds of millions of euro of taxpayers' money on tribunals of inquiry and they make recommendations, the Oireachtas and Government do not act on those recommendations. This is why when I came into my current role I set up this review to fulfil the programme for Government commitment. There is a need to consolidate, reform and modernise the legislative framework in respect of ethics. This is what we are examining at this moment. We are also examining the recommendations made by SIPO with regard to the current regime. We are examining international best practice and the views of stakeholders as communicated in the public consultation process. The review will also consider the outstanding recommendations from the tribunals and take account of more recent developments such as the Hamilton report and the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption, GRECO, recommendations on the reform of our statutory framework for ethics. I will be bringing forward legislation in the second half of this year.

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