Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 November 2016
31. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if she, her officials or any State agency that she is aware of have been lobbied or had representations made to them by any company or firm supported in any way by the IDA or Enterprise Ireland regarding the State's taxation regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33001/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I and my officials regularly meet with client companies of IDA and Enterprise Ireland to discuss issues related to our economy, including the State’s commitment to a stable tax regime.
As the Deputy will be aware, legislation providing for the regulation of lobbying came into effect in September 2015. That legislation does not aim to prevent lobbying – which is a normal and important part of the democratic process – but to make it more open and transparent.
The Lobbying Act also provides for a publicly accessible register which obliges lobbyists to provide information about their activities. Any person involved in lobbying is required to register on a website which is maintained by the Standards Commission.
I should also make clear that as Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation I am considered a designated public official for the purpose of the Act. The Secretary-General and Assistant Secretaries General in my Department are also classified as such.
I as Minister, the Secretary General and the Assistant Secretaries of this Department are Designated Public Officials under the Lobbying Act, 2015.
The Act does not aim to prevent or inhibit lobbying. It does aim to make the process more transparent. The Act aims to do this by providing for:
- The establishment and maintenance of a publicly accessible register of lobbying
- The Standards in Public Office Commission (The Standards Commission) to be the regulator of lobbying
- Obligations on lobbyists to register and to provide information regularly about their lobbying activities, including, in the case of professional lobbyists, information about their clients
- A code of conduct on the carrying-on of lobbying activities
- The introduction of a “cooling-off” period during which lobbying activity may not be carried out by some former officials.
