Written answers

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Proposed Legislation

Photo of Nicky McFaddenNicky McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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458. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when a register for all lobbyists will be introduced; the way the introduction of such a register will contribute to a more open and transparent Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38274/13]

Photo of Brendan HowlinBrendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Government approval was secured earlier this year for the drafting of the Lobbying Regulation Bill by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. The General Scheme of the Bill has also been submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform (FPER) who are due to report back to my Department shortly. Drafting of the Bill has commenced and the views of the FPER Committee will feed into this drafting process. It is anticipated that the Bill will be published later this year and enacted early in 2014.

The key objective in introducing a register of lobbying is to make information available to the public on the identify of those who are communicating with Government and senior civil and public servants on public policy matters. It will also provide a framework for holding those engaged in lobbying accountable for the manner in which they conduct the activity. This will allow the wider public to reach informed evidence-based judgements about the extent to which different interest groups are accessing key decision makers across the political and public service systems. Regulation would be expected to increase the public understanding of lobbying activity in Ireland.

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