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8/13/2019 Lobby Irlanda

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Reporting of Lobbying in Criminal LegalCases Bill 2011 Speech by Minister of State

at the Department of Justice and !uality"Ms #athleen Lynch" $%D% Second StageSpeech &Seanad 'ireann( 21 September2011CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

A chathaoirligh,

Let me at the outset exress m! areciatio" a"# that o$ the Go%er"me"t to Se"ator Cro&"

$or u'lishi"g the Reorti"g o$ Lo''!i"g i" Crimi"al Legal Cases (ill )*++ The Se"ator

has, through this (ill ut o" the age"#a o"ce more the $raught issue o$ lo''!i"g

It goes &ithout sa!i"g that lo''!i"g is art a"# arcel o$ all our li%es as u'lic

rerese"tati%es Rerese"tati%e #emocrac! has at its core the co"cet o$ us all rerese"ti"g

our co"stitue"ts, those &ho i" a ge"eral se"se ut us i" these Houses to rerese"t them a"#

their i"terests (e!o"# that, there is o$ course lo''!i"g '! %arious i"terests, rerese"tati%e

'o#ies a"# associatio"s a"# so o" A"# o$ course, the Go%er"me"t itsel$ is a" acti%e lo''!ist

i" its o&" right, i"clu#i"g i" articular o" the i"ter"atio"al stage

Lo''!i"g has got a 'a# "ame i" some -uarters, articularl! $rom those &ho thi". that

mem'ers o$ the /ireachtas ca" $u"ctio" i" a hermeticall! seale# 'u''le, immu"e $rom the

realities o$ e%er!#a! li$e a"# co"cer"e# o"l! &ith their role as legislators The realit!, as &e

all ."o&, is %er! #i$$ere"t The ma.i"g o$ rerese"tatio"s, lo''!i"g i$ !ou li.e, is art a"#

arcel o$ the #emocratic rocess, e%er!&here that #emocrac! is ractice# It is "ot u"i-ue to

Irela"#, a"# there is "othi"g i"here"tl! or i"tri"sicall! &ro"g &ith it I" certai"

circumsta"ces, it ma! "ee# to 'e regulate# (ut that somethi"g shoul# 'e regulate# #oes "ot

ma.e it &ro"g

Ha%i"g sai# that, there are clearl! 'ou"#s to acceta'le lo''!i"g a"# 'oth si#es o$ thelo''!i"g rocess must 'e co"scious o$ the 'ou"#aries, articularl! &here ro$essio"al

lo''!i"g is co"cer"e# The Go%er"me"t has committe# itsel$ i" the 0rogramme $or

Go%er"me"t to i"tro#uce a statutor! register o$ lo''!ists a"# to i"tro#uce rules to regulate

lo''!i"g a"# I ."o& that it is a riorit! $or m! colleague, the 1i"ister $or 0u'lic Exe"#iture

a"# Re$orm This commitme"t is roo$ o$ the serious"ess &ith &hich &e aroach the issue

o$ lo''!i"g The u'lic has a right to ."o& &ho the lo''!ists are a"# to ha%e their acti%ities

regulate# There ca" 'e "o se"se that ro$essio"al lo''!i"g ca" ro%i#e a co%ert 2i"si#e

trac.2 to o&er

It is i" this co"text that I &elcome this (ill here to#a! The ri"ciles u"#erl!i"g the (ill are

"o'le a"# to 'e comme"#e# As I ha%e 3ust sai#, the! echo the hilosohical u"#eri""i"g o$the Go%er"me"t4s %ie& o$ lo''!i"g ge"erall! (ut as I hoe I ha%e ma#e clear, "either I, "or


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m! Go%er"me"t colleagues, see a"!thi"g i"tri"sicall! &ro"g &ith lo''!i"g, ro%i#e# that it

is a%aila'le to all a"# "ot the reser%e o$ the $e& To 'e $air to Se"ator Cro&", "either, it

&oul# aear #oes he 5hat the (ill seems to asire to achie%e is a" oe", tra"sare"t

regime, &here rerese"tatio"s i" the crimi"al 3ustice s!stem are ma#e u'lic '! 'oth the

2lo''!ist2 a"# the 2lo''ie#2, a"# the 1i"ister $or 6ustice is a#%ise# that the lo''!i"g has

ta.e" lace

Ho&e%er, &hile tra"sare"c! i" lo''!i"g is somethi"g that the Go%er"me"t is committe# to,

&e are committe# to it i" clearl! #e$i"e# circumsta"ces &here it is re-uire# 5e ha%e "e%er

e"%isage# regulati"g lo''!i"g &here it #oes"4t alrea#! exist a"# more articularl!, &oul#

"e%er cou"te"a"ce ro%i#i"g $or or regulati"g lo''!i"g that is alrea#! u"la&$ul, or &hich i$

ma#e la&$ul &oul# u"#ermi"e &ell7esta'lishe# co"stitutio"al a"# legal ri"ciles

The 6u#iciar!, the /$$ice o$ the Director o$ 0u'lic 0rosecutio"s a"# A" Gar#a S8och9"a are

three cor"ersto"es o$ the crimi"al 3ustice s!stem i" this State The! are i"#ee"#e"t i" the

er$orma"ce o$ their $u"ctio"s a"# that i"#ee"#e"ce is a $u"#ame"tal u"#eri""i"g o$ our

#emocrac! Article :; o$ the Co"stitutio" e"shri"es the i"#ee"#e"ce o$ the 6u#iciar!, a"#that i"#ee"#e"ce has ser%e# the "atio" &ell si"ce +


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i"ter$ere"ce $rom mem'ers o$ the /ireachtas To allo& regulate# i"ter$ere"ce is to

u"#ermi"e i"#ee"#e"ce

As &ell as $alli"g $oul o$ the co"stitutio"al ro%isio"s i" relatio" to the searatio" o$ o&ers,

the (ill, i$ e"acte#, &oul# co"$lict &ith the commo" la& o$$e"ce o$ er%erti"g or attemti"g

to er%ert the course o$ 3ustice, as &ell as the o$$e"ce o$ crimi"al co"temt o$ court I $ail tosee ho& the legal recets co"tai"e# i" these t&o o$$e"ces ca" 'e reco"cile# &ith the

regulate# i"ter$ere"ce i" the 3u#icial rocess ro%i#e# $or i" this (ill

I" sa!i"g all this, I am "ot $or o"e mome"t -uestio"i"g Se"ator Cro&"4s 'o"a $i#es I

u"#ersta"# &hat he is tr!i"g to achie%e a"# I 'elie%e that he is moti%ate# '! goo# i"te"tio"s

It is u"$ortu"ate that these goo# i"te"tio"s ha%e 'ee" u"#ermi"e# '! this $atal attac. o"

3u#icial i"#ee"#e"ce, &hich I accet ca""ot ha%e 'ee" his i"te"tio"

I &a"t to tur" "o& to other asects o$ the (ill that are almost as u"#ermi"i"g o$ our s!stem o$

3ustice as the attac. o" 3u#icial i"#ee"#e"ce The /$$ices o$ the Director o$ 0u'lic

0rosecutio"s a"# A" Gar#a S8och9"a, are &ith the 6u#iciar!, .e! eleme"ts o$ our rosecutio"s!stem This &as recog"ise# i" the e"actme"t o$ the 0rosecutio" o$ /$$e"ces Act +


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A" Gar#a S8och9"a a"# the Director o$ 0u'lic 0rosecutio"s, &ith the sa$eguar#s o$ #isclosure

ro%i#e# i" Se"ator Cro&"4s (ill Is it "o& time to ame"# the 0rosecutio" o$ /$$e"ces Act

to allo& 1em'ers o$ the /ireachtas to lo''! our rosecutio" ser%ices Are there grou"#s $or

'elie%i"g that the +


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to ame"# the +

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