The Government is strongly committed to ensuring that the necessary domestic measures are in place to effectively combat corruption both nationally and in the context of our international commitments. Ireland's ratification of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in 2011, following the enactment of the Prevention of Corruption Act 2010, signalled Ireland's commitment to the international effort in this regard.
The Convention provides a comprehensive set of standards that all countries can apply in order to strengthen their legal and regulatory regimes to fight corruption. The Convention also calls for preventative measures and the criminalisation of the most prevalent forms of corruption in both public and private sectors. Article 6 of the Convention, to which the Deputy refers, requires that each State Party shall, in accordance with the fundamental principles of its legal system, ensure the existence of a body or bodies that prevent corruption. The Convention does not mandate the creation or maintenance of a body. The Convention recognises that, given the range of responsibilities and functions to be undertaken, it may be that this task is assigned to different existing agencies.
In applying Article 6 to the domestic situation it is clear that there is a broad spectrum of legislation which has relevance for the prevention of corruption including the Prevention of Corruption Acts, ethics legislation, political funding legislation, money laundering legislation, the Companies Acts etc. Ireland's obligations under Article 6 are consequently addressed by a range of bodies including the Standards in Public Office Commission, the Companies Registration Office, the Central Bank of Ireland, the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Garda Síochána. The development and implementation of anti-corruption policies, as required by the Convention, does not therefore rest with any one body in this jurisdiction.
