Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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114. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide an update on when the review of ethics legislation will be published; if he will confirm that ten submissions were received by the closure date of the public consultation in mid-January 2022; if those submissions have now all been considered; if he has considered the findings of the review yet; when he intends to bring forward a general scheme of a Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56431/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I am happy to inform the Deputy that a draft report of my Department’s review of our statutory framework for ethics is at the point of being completed. My Department is now engaging with major stakeholders across the public service to finalise the report. I will then consider the final report and bring it to Government for its approval and publication. It is intended that Government approval will also be sought to prepare a General Scheme of a Bill, to be drafted during Q1 2023.

As the Deputy notes, the review process included a public consultation exercise, which launched last November and concluded in mid-January 2022. My Department received eleven responses to this from members of the public, political parties, political groups and civil society - one of which, from a member of the public, was received after the closure date.

The submissions received have been considered as part of the review. Many of the themes emerging from the public consultation align with the Government's main reasons for reform including:

- The urgency of reform in this area, support for the 2015 Public Sector Standards Bill approach and regret that that Bill did not complete the legislative process;

- Calls for the reinforcement of the obligation of public officials, as well as the investigative and enforcement powers of the Standards in Public Office Commission, and its resources;

- Suggestions for generalised ‘cooling off’ periods, while acknowledging that a balance is to be achieved between personal freedom and obligations placed on public officials to safeguard the integrity of public life;

- Concerns flagged regarding increased administrative burdens and the potential for a chilling effect on those considering entering the public sector, in particular the commercial State sector.

I foresee that all the responses to the public consultation will be published as part of the review report.