Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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654. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the Land Development Agency is exempted from complying with the lobbying register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14498/21]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The designation of categories of officials under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

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. This commitment will be progressed in the context of the third statutory review of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, which will commence in early 2022.

It is the intention of the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage that the Chief Executive of the LDA and his senior executives would be Designated Public Officials under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, when the Register is extended and this has previously been communicated with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.