Kathryn Reilly (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 15:

In page 7, to delete lines 1 and 2 and substitute the following:“(a) the person has one or more full-time employees and the relevant communications are made primarily to represent the interests of the employer,”.

I will be brief because this was also discussed in the other House. The proposed exclusion of lobbying by groups with ten or fewer employees, while intended to reduce administrative pressures on small businesses, could be seen to create a loophole for those firms or partnerships who would prefer to hide their lobbying activities rather than comply. If the registration process is available online with clear instructions and is not otherwise onerous, it should not pose an insurmountable problem for those smaller organisations.