This section will present the reports of the Standard in Public Office Commission (Standards Commission) as they arise.

It will also provide statistics that are of public interest after Lobbying Returns are made to the Standards Commission.

The Standards Commission is obliged to provide Annual reports to the Oireachtas.

Annual Reports

Part 5, Section 25(1), The Commission shall prepare an annual report relating to the operation of this Act and shall cause a copy of it to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas no later than 30 June in the year following that to which it relates.

(2) A report under subsection (1) shall (in particular) include, in a form which does not enable the identification of the persons involved, information relating to—
(a) any determinations under section 14 made or in force in that year,
(b) any investigations under section 19 concluded in that year,
(c) any applications for consent under section 22, and all decisions on such applications, made in that year,
(d) any convictions for offences under section 20 in that year, and
(e) any fixed payment notices served under section 21 in that year

The first Annual Report 2015 and additional documents are available to view here

Review of the Act

The Minister launched the first review of the Act on 31 August 2016. The Commission made an extensive submission to the review, based on its experience of the first year of administering the Act.  The Minister’s report on the results of the legislative review was published on the Department’s website on 2 May 2017.

The report on the First Review of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 and the submission by the Standards in Public Office Commission are available on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform website

Report by the Standards in Public Office Commission on a consultation process regarding a Code of Conduct for persons carrying on lobbying activities.

Section 16(1) of the Act provides that the Standards in Public Office Commission (the Commission) may produce a Code of Conduct for persons carrying on lobbying activities.  Section 16(2) provides that before producing a Code of Conduct the Commission shall consult with persons carrying on lobbying activities and such bodies representing them, and such other persons as the Commission considers appropriate.  Below is a link to the Commission’s report on the consultation process and the submissions received.

The report is available to view here