Finance Committee to discuss Public Sector Standards Bill 2015 and its implications for public officials

The Committee will discuss the Public Sector Standards Bill 2015 with the following witnesses:

•    Mr. Bobby O'Connell, General-Secretary, Local Authorities Members Association and;
•    Mr. Luie McEntire, Vice President, Association of Irish Local Government.

The Public Sector Standards Bill 2015 proposes to enhance the existing framework for identifying, disclosing and managing conflicts of interest and minimising corruption risks across the public sector.

Committee Chairman, John McGuinness TD, says, “If enacted, this piece of draft legislation would represent a significant change to the ethical environment in public officials operate.  Many of the Bill’s provisions reflect recommendations made by the Mahon Tribunal. Proposed measures include that SIPO would be replaced by a Public Sector Standards Commission with expanded powers and a separate, independent investigatory function. A new complaints and investigation procedure would also be established. The Bill proposes to widen the legal obligations of all public officials to disclose actual and potential conflicts of interest. The Committee has have invited the witnesses to engage on the Bill’s contents in order to build on the scrutiny of the draft legislation which was undertaken by the Finance Committee of the previous Dáil.”

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