Political corruption watchdog says bill may undermine independence

The State’s political corruption watchdog has warned that a proposed bill could undermine its independence and effectively create an “amnesty” situation for officials facing investigations, unless key shortcomings are addressed.

The Standards in Public Office (Sipo) Commission raised the concerns in a detailed document to Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin just a week after an RTÉ programme exposed alleged ongoing corruption in the political system.

The 13-page file was sent to Mr Howlin in response to his proposed Public Sector Standards Bill, published on June 18, which is intended to beef up the current transparency system, lobbying, and ethics legislation.