Members will be aware that the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 introduced a requirement for those who lobby designated public officials to register and report their lobbying activities every four months.
Section 16(1) of the Act provides that the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) may produce a Code of Conduct for persons carrying on lobbying activities “with a view to promoting high professional standards and good practices”.
Before finalising such a Code, the Commission wishes to consult with persons carrying on lobbying activities, bodies representing them, and others as the Commission considers appropriate. A draft Code has now been published by SIPO. It is for consideration only and does not reflect what may or may not be included in the final Code.
The consultation paper, the draft Code of Conduct, and a template for a submission response are available on lobbying.ie here.
The PRII has played a leading role supporting compliance with the Lobbying Act 2015. CEO Dr Martina Byrne will continue to represent members views in the development of the proposed SIPO Code and invites members who have views on the draft Code to forward them to Frank Condon, PRII Development & Research Manager at Loading... by close of business on Tuesday July 17. You may wish to use the Template Submission Response form available on the lobbying.ie link above. Please include specific examples from your own experience which support your views.
The closing date for submissions to SIPO is 27 July 2018.
PRII Members already subscribe to the PRII Code of Professional Practice for Public Affairs & Lobbying available here:
The PRII Code of Professional Practice for Public Affairs and Lobbying was originally adopted in 2003 and amended in 2016 to reflect the requirements of the Regulation of Lobbying Act. The PRII Code complements the obligations of public officials under the Ethics in Public Office Acts, Local Government Acts, Electoral Acts and standard terms of employment and other rules which also govern the activities of public officials. In effect, it goes beyond the basic legal minimum requirements and speaks to the high professional standards demanded by and of PRII members.
It should be noted that submissions received, and reports of any meetings undertaken by the Commission with any external parties in response to this consultation process will be published on www.lobbying.ie and will be subject to release under the Freedom of Information.
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