Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the motion tabled by the Independent Senators. It is good that we are debating lobbying and the level of transparency which exists in respect of it.

In the ongoing debates on alcohol advertising in sport, plain packaging for cigarettes and abortion, the presence of lobbyists - working either covertly or overtly on behalf of particular interests or causes - is obvious. A number of weeks ago the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, secured Government approval for the drafting by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel of the regulation of lobbying Bill. The general scheme of that Bill has been published on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform's website. I have no doubt that the final version of the legislation will be introduced in the House before long. The goal of regulating lobbying is to ensure confidence in the political process while increasing the accountability of those who make decisions by bringing the policy creation process into the open and allowing it to be subject to greater transparency than was previously the case. I am sure everyone in the House would welcome the latter.

I understand the regulation of lobbying Bill will create a register of lobbyists which will be available online. It will also make provision for a cooling-off period of up to one year for former public officials seeking to lobby colleagues with whom they previously worked for public bodies. The latter is welcome and it will hopefully prevent the equivalent of a revolving door from developing within Departments. In that context, I refer to the recent events involving a former employee of NAMA who, in effect, is a gamekeeper turned poacher. We need to ensure that similar scenarios do not arise within the public sector. The primary focus of the register of lobbyists will relate to the subject matter and purpose of the lobbying, the organisations or persons lobbied and the type and intensity of lobbying activity carried out. The Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO, will have oversight in ensuring compliance and monitoring activity.

While I welcome the debate on the motion and commend those involved on the amount of work they did in drafting it, I am of the view that in the context of the concept of openness and transparency being introduced into decision-making and public policy and ensuring that a revolving door will not develop, we should await the publication of the proposed legislation before proceeding further. I am also of the view that while the motion before the House has merit and raises points which are more than worthy of further discussion, it must be recognised that the Government is actually in the process of legislating in respect of this matter. The Government amendment strongly supports the fundamental objective of the regulation of lobbying Bill in the context of providing appropriate transparency with regard to who is lobbying whom and about what. Such transparency will facilitate the wider community in reaching informed, evidence-based judgments regarding the extent to which different interest groups are able to access and influence decision makers.

Naturally, I agree that lobbying is an important part of democracy. Lobbyists often assist us in framing things in such a way as to ensure that they will not have an adverse or inadvertent impact on sectors of the economy or society that were not considered during the initially policy-making process. As such, they can help to augment the decision-making process. However, it is my core belief that any representations by lobbyists should be made openly in a way which allows members of the public to see the number of such representations made by particular sectors, businesses or lobbyists. Citizens should be able to know who represents whom. I believe in openness and transparency and in the process the Government has put in train. While I recognise the hard work done by the Independent Senators in respect of preparing the motion, I am afraid that I must support the Government amendment.