Eight lobbyists were threatened with court proceedings last year by the ethics watchdog over alleged breaches of regulations, the Irish Examiner can reveal. Furthermore, since 2017 the Standards in Public Office (Sipo) has imposed over 1,000 fines on lobbyists who made late returns on their activities, under powers granted with the 2015 Regulation of Lobbying Act. The Regulation of Lobbying Act was introduced in 2015 in an effort to provide greater transparency as to what advocates were contacting politicians and why. The commission can also impose fixed payment penalties of €200 for the submission of late returns. Two cases are ongoing.”Sipo said details of its investigations last year under the Regulation of Lobbying Act will be available in its annual report for 2018, which is expected this summer.

Source: Irish Examiner February 07, 2019 05:26 UTC