Regulating More? Comparing Ireland’s Original and Amended Lobbying Legislation

• In Event: Poster Session: Legislative Studies & American Political Economy
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Legislative Studies

Abstract

This paper compares the amendments introduced by the Regulation of Lobbying and Oireachtas (Allowances to Members) (Amendment) Act 2023 with the original lobbying regulations of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015. This study is conducted using the Centre for Public Integrity’s (CPI) ‘Hired Guns’ method for assessing the robustness of lobbying legislation. Using the CPI’s index allows the findings to be compared with lobbying regulations internationally. The 2015 legislation was introduced after years of unfulfilled promises and scandals, to increase the public’s trust in representative institutions and democracy. The 2023 amendments came in the wake of a 2020 lobbying scandal. We find that, despite the CPI score remaining unchanged, the amendments introduce more rules and sanctions, particularly in relation to designated public officials, and close off outstanding loopholes.

Author

• John W. Hogan, Technological University Dublin