The new ethics ethos is to be extended, if the Labour Party has its way, to include that vast and shadowy field of consultancy and lobbying. Already politicians, senior public servants and office-holders must declare all outside interests including businesses, shareholdings, donations and so forth. Now, under the Registration of Lobbyists Bill, to be introduced in the Seanad next month by Labour Senator Pat Gallagher, paid lobbyists must declare, in the public interest and to the greatest extent possible, their activities. They would be required to register with the Public Offices Commission what office-holder they lobbied to amend legislation, to introduce a bill to the House, to make, revoke or amend statutory instruments or to secure a contract.
The Bill is aimed not necessarily at restricting the select band, many of them former civil servants, politicians or senior party workers, who frequent Leinster House lobbying, networking and gaining access to ministers for their clients, but at making them declare who they work for. Last week an adviser to the Taoiseach, Paddy Duffy, resigned when it was revealed he was on the board of a PR firm. Several months ago Jackie Gallagher left the Taoiseach's office for the world of consultancy, and former political spin-doctors are already well established, including P.J. Mara and Frank Dunlop. From Fine Gael there's Peter White, Bill O'Herlihy and Nuala Fennell, from the PDs Stephen O'Byrnes and Michael Parker and from Labour Fergus Finlay and Brendan Halligan.
These are the people with the contacts and the know-how and big business buys their talents. Labour feels their activities should be registered. It is rumoured that next on the target list for openness, transparency and accountability (the great goddess OTA, as Charlie McCreevy calls it) are journalists.