Lobbying reforms 'technical rather than substantive'

The new Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022 allows for fines of up to €25,000 to be dished out for breaches of the “cooling off period”

In publishing the legislation, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath said that lobbying is a “vital component in maintaining a healthy and well-functioning democracy”. File picture: Iain White

The Government’s new lobbying reforms have been accused of being “technical rather than substantive” and it has been warned that much further action is needed to “restore public confidence in policy making”.

The new Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2022 has been published by the Government, and allows for fines of up to €25,000 to be dished out for breaches of the “cooling off period”, where former ministers, special advisors or senior officials cannot become lobbyists for at least a year.