Who are the Designated Public Officials (the lobbied)?
Designated Public Officials (DPOs) under the Act are:
- Ministers and Ministers of State
- TDs and Senators
- MEPs for Irish constituencies
- Members of local authorities
- Special Advisers to Ministers and Ministers of State who have been appointed under section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997
- Public Servants as prescribed
- Other categories of persons as prescribed
In relation to the Civil Service the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has made regulations which provide details of the positions which are prescribed as DPOs for the purposes of the Act. A public servant in a position of Secretary General, Second Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Assistant Secretary or Director in a public service body specified in Schedule I of the Regulations is prescribed as a Designated Public Official.
In relation to local authorities, the Regulations provide that persons in the following positions in local authorities are prescribed as Designated Public Officials:
- Chief Executives and equivalent grades
- Assistant Chief Executive (Dublin City Council only)
- Directors of Services
- Heads of Finance
- Head of Human Resources (Dublin City Council only)
Full details of the positions above prescribed in the Regulations are available on our website www.lobbying.ie. The list of positions prescribed as Designated Public Officials may be extended by Ministerial Order to other categories over time.