Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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395. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the Land Development Agency will be subject to the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015. [21104/20]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Land Development Agency (LDA) was established on an interim basis in September 2018, by way of an Establishment Order (S.I. 352 of 2018, as amended by S.I. 603 of 2018) made under the Local Government Services (Corporate Bodies) Act 1971, pending the enactment of primary legislation when it will be established as a commercial State agency.

The designation of categories of officials under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 is a matter for the Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform. Officials of the LDA are currently not designated as Designated Public Officials under the Act.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to “extend the lobbying register so that the lobbying of senior officials in bodies like the Central Bank of Ireland, Comreg, the NTA and the HSE which have significant policymaking or development functions will need to be reported on the same basis as central and local government”. It is therefore a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, in consultation with my Department, to consider whether it is appropriate to provide that the senior management of the LDA are designated as Designated Public Officials under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, in the context of this commitment.