Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 41:

In page 14, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following:"(g) in the case of a lobbying activity by a person under section 5(1)(a)or (c)the overall amount spent on that lobbying action by the client, and in the case of a lobbying activity by a person under section 5(1)(b)or (c)the costs associated with that lobbying action.".

This amendment relates to, in the case of a lobbying activity by a person under section 5(1)(a) or (c), the overall amount spent on that lobbying action by the client, and in the case of a lobbying activity by a person under section 5(1)(b) or (c), the costs associated with that lobbying action. It has been correctly pointed out by others that the regulatory framework necessary to create genuine transparency in public decision-making and open government will never be complete unless we know who paid how much to pitch what proposals or positions to whom. This is essential information and yet the Bill contains no requirement to make this kind of information available to the public, and we put forward the amendment so that such would be the case.