Lobby groups warned to adapt or die

Lobby groups and representative bodies must adapt to legislative changes or perish, a conference was told today.

This was the stark message to delegates from over 50 of Ireland’s high profile lobby groups who attended a conference hosted by Irish law firm Beauchamps today.

Speakers - including economist Moore McDowell, Mary Davis, CEO, Special Olympics Ireland and Gary Rice of Beauchamps - highlighted the challenges faced by lobby groups in a changed national and pan-European environment.

Speakers from among the representative body sector included Philip Browne of the IRFU and Seamus Feely of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union, whose organisations have both undergone significant change programmes over the past number of years.

While professions in Ireland are currently among the least regulated in comparison to western Europe, expansion of the EU and increasing member demands for pan-national representative functions are set to irrevocably change the environment for all lobby groups.

In order to stem the rising costs associated with the labour intensive nature of lobby groups, delegates were urged to look at alternative models in other markets.

It was not all bad news for the lobby group sector.

Gary Rice, Public and Regulatory Law Partner, Beauchamps Solicitors said: “Recent changes have resulted in greater recognition of the role of representative bodies before the Courts.

"This recognition of representative bodies now makes it easier for professional and trade groups to take legal action and speak with a single powerful voice.”