Some 62 public bodies including the Health Service Executive, Tusla and the Central Bank of Ireland have been added to the lobbying register.
Anybody who lobbies the organisations named in a new statutory instrument will have to register as they would do if they were lobbying local or central Government bodies.
The Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 introduced transparency into the process of lobbying Government departments.
The Programme for Government promised to expand the lobbying register to include other bodies not named in the original legislation.
Hurricane Milton: Irish woman living in evacuation zone says it is ‘too late’ to leave
Covid-19 a causative factor in death of Michael Laffan (66) while swimming at Seapoint, inquest finds
Mark Ruffalo rows in on Irish politics, saying Green Party ‘about to do something really terrible to the environment’
Kamala Harris is losing momentum in the US’s hurricane wreck of an election
The statutory instrument was signed into law by the Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe and will come into force on January 1st.
Commenting on its implementation he said: “I welcome the implementation of this programme for Government commitment which will make the workings of Government more transparent. Transparency is an essential part of promoting trust in Government.
“Lobbying is a key part of the democratic process. It plays an important role in policy formation. However, it needs to be open to public scrutiny. The people of Ireland should be able to monitor the potential influence that interest groups and representative bodies have on public policy issues and decisions.
“By further strengthening our lobbying regime, and expanding the register, we ensure it continues to deliver on the objectives set for it. This measure will expand the range of officials who are covered by the legislation and this means that more information will be available to the public.”
The Statutory Instrument will commence on January 1st, 2025. From that date, senior officials within the public bodies covered, with significant policymaking or development roles, will be required to advise lobbyists that they are Designated Public Officials (DPOs). Any interactions with DPOs must be reported by lobbyists in accordance with the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015.
The 2015 Act also provides that, in certain circumstances, public servants who are prescribed as DPOs, are restricted from engaging in lobbying, for a year after they leave their employment or office.
In effect, they are subject to a cooling-off period in respect of their involvement in particular lobbying activities.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
