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public on the identity of those communicating with designated public officials on specific policy, legislative matters or prospective decisions. The Act provides restrictions and conditions on the taking up of certain employments by certain designated officials for a specified period of time where a possible conflict of interest arises. The Act states that the
Standards Commission will be the Registrar of Lobbying and will establish an online Register of Lobbying. The Standards Commission will oversee the implementation of the register, monitor compliance, provide guidance and assistance and where necessary investigate and pursue breaches of legal requirements in due course. The Act was signed into law on Wednesday 11 March 2015.
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come into effect until 1 January 2017. From 1 January 2017, however, a person who does not register as required by the Act or does not submit a return of their lobbying activities or is late submitting a return of their lobbying activities is subject to the offences and penalties provided for in the Act.
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must provide the commission with tax clearance certificates. This also applies to the
Attorney General and senior State-appointed members of public bodies. The Commission lays down guidelines and gives advice in individual cases. The Commission provides these statements of interests to the Clerk of
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The focus in the initial period of the implementation of the Act was on guidance and information and ensuring that registrants were familiar with the process of submitting their returns online. Enforcement provisions provided for in Part 4 of the
Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 (the Act) did not
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The commission has been given new responsibility by the
Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 which introduces a statutory register of lobbying, and rules concerning the practice of lobbying. The purpose of the Act is to provide for a web-based Register of Lobbying to make information available to the
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complained that SIPO had no power to enforce registration. SIPO noted in a 2008 report that 'In practice, the vast majority of third parties have registered with the
Standards Commission in relation to a particular campaign and their "political" activity has not extended beyond that campaign.'
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it is not the intention of the
Standards Commission to pursue each individual and group involved in every type of campaign where the activities could be covered by the definition of political purposes. Such individuals or groups will, however, be contacted by the Standards Commission for
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The commission issues codes of conduct for politicians, office holders, and civil servants. It also issues statutory guidelines for compliance. The commission may also designate officials to give individual advice to individuals affected by the Ethics Acts.
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The
Commission examines expenditure paid from the annual allowances to the leaders of parliamentary parties for expenses arising from the parties' parliamentary activities, including research. The commission makes reports to the
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The commission may carry out investigations and hold sittings under the Ethics Acts. It provides a report to interested parties and those specified in the legislation. The investigation reports are published on its website.
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The commission supervises compliance with legislation limiting donations to political parties in
Ireland and election expenditure. This is a broad remit and applies to donations received by sitting Members of both
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178:. In the annual reports, the commission makes recommendations for changes to ethics and other relevant legislation. The 2013 annual report summarises all previous recommendations.
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under the
Standards in Public Office Act 2001. It replaced the Public Offices Commission which had been established in November 1995 by the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995.
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exceeding the value of €100". Auditing of "third party" activities addresses the minor issue of outside endorsements of election candidates and the major issue of
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The commission may receive complaints and carry out investigations against alleged breaches of the Ethics Acts. It may not receive complaints about
Members of the
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on the expenditure of the party leaders' allowances. Since 1 July 2014, the Party Leader's Allowance has been replaced by the Parliamentary Activities Allowance.
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80:. The commission maintains the Register of Corporate Donors and the Register of Third Parties. The Commission makes reports to the Chairman of Dáil Éireann
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The commission is the supervisory body for compliance with legislation concerning ethical issues regarding politicians, office holders and civil servants
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Since the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001, SIPO has maintained a register of "third parties", defined as "any individual or group, other than a
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on the grounds that contravened the prohibition on foreign donorations because it was political, being related to liberalising
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The Commission makes annual reports to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform which are laid before each House of the
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The commission monitors the expenditure of State funding by political parties. It makes reports to the Chairman of
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clarification of their position if a complaint, or other information, is received about their failure to register.
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There are six members of the Standards Commission. The chairperson is a judge, or a former judge, of the
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The commission can decide to open an investigation on its own initiative for breaches of the Ethics Acts.
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The commission supervises the disclosure of interests by politicians. All members of the Houses of the
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Report to the Minister for the Environment on Third Parties and the Referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon
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representing Irish constituencies. It also applies to individual candidates at elections for
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Whether a given a donation is for "political purposes" may be controversial. In 2018
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or election candidate, who or which accepts, in a particular calendar year, a
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510:"Appointments to the Standards in Public Office Commission: Motions"
459:"Explanatory Note for Third Parties: Electoral Act 1997, as amended"
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Party leaders' allowances and Parliamentary Activities Allowance
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as appropriate, who publish registers of members' interests.
35:) is an independent body established in December 2001 by the
592:. Commission for Public Service Appointments. Archived from
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After SIPO wrote to some groups which advocated against the
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486:. Standards in Public Office Commission. Archived from
484:"Report on compliance by third parties in 2002 / 2003"
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following approval by each House of the Oireachtas.
562:"Amnesty challenges SIPO order to return donation"
273:following resolutions passed by each House of the
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306:The Chairperson of the Standards Commission is
241:was ordered to return a 2015 donation from the
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643:Government agencies of the Republic of Ireland
277:recommending the appointment. There are four
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542:. Standards in Public Office Commission. 2009
170:Annual reports and recommendations for change
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230:Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013
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536:"Supervision of the third party provisions"
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145:as these are dealt with by the Oireachtas.
314:Commission for Public Service Appointments
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33:Coimisiún um Chaighdeáin in Oifigí Poiblí
16:Oversight body in the Irish civil service
439:. Dublin: Office of the Attorney General
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374:). Enacted on 22 July 1995. Act of the
353:). Enacted on 14 July 2001. Act of the
153:Codes of conduct, guidelines and advice
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88:Disclosure of interests by politicians
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349:Standards in Public Office Act 2001 (
21:Standards in Public Office Commission
658:Elections in the Republic of Ireland
516:. KildareStreet.com. 22 January 2014
638:Politics of the Republic of Ireland
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464:. SIPO. September 2015. p. 10
370:Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 (
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437:"Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015"
215:organisations which lobby during
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285:Comptroller and Auditor General
205:donation for political purposes
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219:. SIPO said in a 2003 report:
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312:member (Commissioner) of the
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137:Complaints and investigations
417:. Standards in Public Office
415:"Recommendations for change"
395:. Standards in Public Office
109:Expenditure of state funding
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590:"Members of the Commission"
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43:Functions of the commission
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265:, and is appointed by the
201:registered political party
84:in relation to donations.
253:Members of the Commission
195:Register of third parties
648:Anti-corruption agencies
382: on 18 October 2023.
361: on 18 October 2023.
243:Open Society Foundations
162:Own initiative inquiries
58:Houses of the Oireachtas
393:"Investigation Reports"
247:Ireland's abortion laws
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182:Regulation of Lobbying
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378:. Retrieved from
357:. Retrieved from
269:on the advice of the
267:President of Ireland
217:referendum campaigns
131:Minister for Finance
78:president of Ireland
490:on 18 December 2017
74:European Parliament
62:European Parliament
60:and members of the
51:Political donations
596:on 28 January 2015
570:. 12 February 2018
380:Irish Statute Book
359:Irish Statute Book
653:Political funding
295:and the Clerk of
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600:27 February
632:Categories
376:Oireachtas
355:Oireachtas
337:References
309:ex officio
280:ex officio
275:Oireachtas
263:High Court
176:Oireachtas
143:Oireachtas
94:Oireachtas
289:Ombudsman
574:20 April
546:20 April
520:20 April
494:20 April
468:20 April
443:30 April
320:See also
76:and the
421:5 March
399:5 March
261:or the
567:RTÉ.ie
331:Ethics
287:, the
72:, the
462:(PDF)
29:Irish
602:2015
576:2018
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