New lobbying legislation requires culture shift, Canadian ethics expert says

New lobbying rules will require a “culture shift” in Ireland, the Canadian-born new ethics regulator has said, because the State has a “lobbying culture”.

Former public officials, including ministers and special advisers, will be barred from lobbying for a year after leaving office under rules introduced by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin.

Lobbying for planning zoning is equally barred – a consequence of the findings of the Mahon tribunal, said Sherry Perreault, who was appointed lobbying regulator in April. Breaches could lead to two years in jail.

More than 500 organisations have registered as lobbyists, including the Irish Farmers Association, the Rehab charity and the Sisters of Mercy. “The existence of this register is not some sort of Santa’s naughty list. If your name’s on the register it’s actually a good thing because it shows that you are adhering to the rules,” she said.

Ms Perreault, a former senior director in the office of Canada’s Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, said the legislation made no distinction between formal lobbying or casual approaches.

Lobbyists will have to file a return every four months, with a first deadline of January 21st, 2016, saying who they lobbied, the reason, the results and their clients. “It is a big culture shift. Ireland is a lobbying culture,” Ms Perreault said. “Lobbying is a perfectly legitimate practice. It’s something that is an important part of a healthy democracy.”