Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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42. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the number of requests for meetings she has received from private, external, non-State funded lobby groups; the number of meetings she has held with these groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26706/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, in view of the range of my remit as Minister I receive representations, including requests for meetings from a broad range of sources, including members of the Oireachtas, local and voluntary groups and private individuals and companies.

I meet with a wide number of groups and organisations in the normal course of my duties both informally and formally. While my Office does not maintain a register of all such requests for meetings or invitations received, I can advise the Deputy that since 2014, I have attended some 100 meetings with a variety of individuals and groups, including meetings with representatives of those bodies under the aegis of my Department and other public representatives. These figures would not include informal unscheduled meetings that might arise from time to time.

Given the failure of the Deputy to define what they mean by a “lobbying group”, I can only list here the formal meetings that I have had with various groups in the time in question. It should be stressed that, just as I have met with groups such as St. Vincent de Paul and Barnardo’s formally, I would also meet members of these groups and others informally, in my duties while attending events both as Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection.

The Deputy will be aware that the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 has recently been enacted by the Oireachtas and will commence on 1 September 2015. The Act provides that the Standards in Public Office Commission (the Standards Commission) will establish and maintain an online register of lobbying and oversee compliance with the legislative provisions. The purpose of the register will be to make information available to the public on the identity of those communicating with designated public officials. Persons lobbying will have to register with the Standards Commission and will be required to submit returns on their lobbying activities.