Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 April 2023
194. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Finance his plans to extend the lobbying register so that the lobbying of senior officials in bodies such as the Central Bank, ComReg, the NTA and the HSE which have significant policymaking or development functions will need to be reported on the same basis as central and local government, as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18687/23]
View answerThe Programme for Government contains a commitment to "extend the lobbying register so that the lobbying of senior officials in bodies such as the Central Bank of Ireland, Comreg, the NTA and the HSE which have significant policymaking or development functions will need to be reported on the same basis as central and local government."
The intention is that this commitment will be achieved by drafting a Statutory Instrument for Ministerial approval subsequent to my Department engaging extensively with all other Departments and relevant state agencies with a view to identifying appropriate posts. The Statutory Instrument would prescribe those identified in the most senior posts in the targeted public service bodies as designated public officials (DPOs), or "the lobbied", for the purposes of the Act. This will consequently expand the current cohort of DPOs in line with the commitment.
My Department has already engaged with the Standards in Public Office Commission and will shortly write to all Departments and relevant state agencies on this matter.
