John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

127. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the way he proposes to change the laws around lobbying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20547/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

At its meeting on 15 February 2022, the Government approved the publication of the General Scheme of the Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022, its referral to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach for pre-legislative scrutiny, and the priority drafting of the Bill by the Office of the Attorney General.

The General Scheme was published on 16 February and contains the legislative proposals to amend certain provisions of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015. The main changes that will be made to the lobbying legislation are as follows:

- extending the definition of lobbying to ensure that business representative bodies and alliances of business interests, regardless of the number of their employees, are brought within the scope of the legislation;

- improving the functionality of the lobbying register for those who carry on lobbying activities and are required to make returns; and

- strengthening the existing legislation and its enforcement, including the introduction of an anti-avoidance clause and the implementation of a scheme of administrative and civil sanctions for contravening section 22 of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 (i.e. the ‘cooling-off’ period).

Officials in my Department are currently working closely with the Office of the Attorney General on the priority drafting of the Bill.