Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 April 2014
29. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to reform the system of lobbying of Ministers and Department officials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16781/14]
View answer31. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding the Regulation of Lobbying Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16776/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 31 together.
Significant progress is being made in relation to this Government's programme of political and legislative reform aimed at enhancing openness and transparency. The Regulation of Lobbying Bill will form an integral part of this programme.
The decision to proceed with the Regulation of Lobbying Bill 2014 marked a significant step in bringing greater openness to the important process of interaction between the political and administrative systems and all sectors of society who seek to influence specific policy, legislative matters or prospective decisions. The legislative proposals draw on the outcome of a wide and comprehensive public consultation process and have been guided by research into lobbying regulation in other jurisdictions. My Department's Policy Paper and the submissions received from the consulation process are available at http://www.per.gov.ie.
The fundamental objective of this initiative is to provide appropriate transparency on "who is lobbying whom about what". This will allow the wider population to reach informed evidence-based judgments regarding the extent to which different interest groups are able to access and seek to influence decision-making and ease public concerns that lobbying 'behind closed doors' overrides the interests of the community as a whole. The proposals also put in place a system for regulating lobbying where former public officials might seek to lobby the public body or the people they previously worked with for a one-year period after they have left public employment (i.e. 'cooling-off' period).
The General Scheme of the Bill was submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny by the Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Committee and their report has been received. Drafting of the Bill by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel is advancing and it is anticipated that the Bill will be published in quarter 2 of 2014. It is expected that the passage of the Bill through the Houses will be substantially progressed by the summer recess.
Following publication it is intended to establish an Advisory Group composed of relevant experts and key stakeholders who will be in a position to provide information and guidance that will assist in the smooth implementation of the legislation. A period of time will be required prior to commencement of the legislation to enable development of the IT and information systems which will support the registration process. The timeframe for the regulatory provisions of the Bill to come into operation will depend, in the first instance, on the timeframe for the enactment of the Bill by the Oireachtas following Government approval for its publication.
By regulating lobbying activity through registration and reporting requirements public confidence in politics and in the business of government can be strengthened and greater transparency can be achieved regarding the process of public policy making.
