Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 July 2015
62. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of requests for meetings he has received from private, external, non-State-funded lobby groups; the number of meetings he has held with these groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26700/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, in view of the range of my remit as Minister of Finance I receive a large volume of representations, including requests for meetings from a broad range of sources, including members of the Oireachtas, local and voluntary groups and private individuals and companies.
As my Office does not maintain a central register of all such requests for meetings or invitations received I am not in a position to provide a response to this aspect of the request. Information, however, relating to meetings held could only be retrieved by way of a manual examination of diaries and file notes. Given the voluminous nature of this response and the significant amount of staff time and resources now dedicated to this retrieval, I would hope that the Deputy will agree that this information will follow by way of letter (and that my officials will contact the Deputy's Office to confirm the scope of this request).
The Deputy will be also be aware that the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 has recently been enacted by the Oireachtas and will commence on 1 September 2015. The Act provides that the Standards in Public Office Commission (the Standards Commission) will establish and maintain an online register of lobbying and oversee compliance with the legislative provisions. The purpose of the register will be to make information available to the public on the identity of those communicating with designated public officials. Persons lobbying will have to register with the Standards Commission and will be required to submit returns on their lobbying activities.
