If I am a member of a representative body and they ask me to lobby my local TD, who is responsible for submitting returns?
Under the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015, persons who fall within the scope of the Act who communicate with Designated Public Officials about relevant matters must register and submit returns of lobbying activity. Persons within scope are:
- A person with more than 10 employees;
- A representative or advocacy body with 1 or more employees;
- A professional lobbyist paid to communicate on behalf of a client that falls within the previous categories; or
- Anyone communicating about the development or zoning of land.
It is the responsibility of the person who makes, manages or directs the lobbying activity to register and submit returns. A representative body communicating on behalf of its members may undertake grassroots lobbying activities, directing their members to lobby on a particular matter. In such an instance, the obligation to register and submit a return of the lobbying activity would rest with the representative body, not the individual member.