GFC was pleased to contribute to the recent consultation process by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the Regulation of Lobbyists which was based on the principles of the OECD on Transparency and Integrity.
As public affairs practitioners, we have a keen interest in developments in this area and have set out our views in a submission which has now been published to the Department’s website following the conclusion of the consultation process.
We have set out a number of points in our submission, including:
- The need to restore a fully functioning Freedom of Information regime where any citizen can access information on the inputs and processes that have influenced a particular policy
- Information and context on the practice of lobbying, which involves a significant amount of background research and monitoring of political and parliamentary affairs
- A regulatory structure to encompass all organisations who are involved in lobbying including public affairs practitioners, trade associations, professional services firms, legal firms and other corporate entities
- A Register of Lobbyists to give information to citizens on who is lobbying in Ireland coupled with a properly functioning Freedom of Information regime
‘It is in the interests of good government that businesses and civic organizations are able to articulate their messages to political and governmental stakeholders effectively. It is also in the public interest that the policy and legislative decision making process should be open and transparent so that the impact of different inputs to the process can be visible and tracked. However achieving this involves a far greater commitment to political reform than merely introducing a regulatory regime for lobbyists. In particular it requires the reinstatement of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and ultimately its extension to bodies that are currently outside its scope.’
Our full submission can be viewed here: