The Irish Times, Charlie Taylor, 7/4/2008

The Labour Party has issued new proposals for institutional reform which it claims would lead to a reduction in tribunals and help to restore confidence in politics.

Among the plans announced this afternoon are a new bill which would prohibit a TD or Senator from becoming a paid lobbyist, an amendment to the Freedom of Information (FOI) act and the establishment of an independent electoral commission.

Speaking at a press conference in Dublin this afternoon, Labour’s spokesperson on Constitutional Matters and Law Reform, Brendan Howlin, said that the proposed legislation would lead to greater transparency and give citizens greater access to information about themselves and the institutions which govern them.

If passed, the Labour’s party's Electoral Commission Bill would establish a new Electoral and Public Offices Commission that would become responsible for the electoral register, the running of national and local elections and for constituency reviews.

The legislation would also lead to voters using their PPS numbers to establish their true names and addresses in order to ensure that electoral registers are accurate and up-to-date.

An amendment to the Freedom of Information Act to amend the definition of a public body is also proposed to ensure that the act applies to organisations such as the Garda Síochána automatically. The Labour Party is also seeking to scrap charges for access to information under the act.

The Party is also seeking the introduction of a Registration of Lobbyists Bill which would introduce a system for the registration of paid lobbyists and the disclosure of their activities.

In addition to debarring TDs and Senators from being paid lobbyists, the bill would also restrict members of state boards and ministerial special advisors from becoming paid lobbyists for two years after leaving office.

Speaking this afternoon, the Labour Party’s deputy leader, Joan Burton, claimed that if such legislation had been in place in the past there wouldn’t have been the need for so many tribunals as there have been.

“Much of the matters which have given rise to the tribunals arose from lobbying accompanied in many cases by tons of money which was not publicly disclosed and which subsequently had to be excavated through long and expensive tribunals,” said Burton.

The proposals announced today form part of a major programme of institutional reform planned by the Labour Party. It said that it is currently preparing new Bills in a number of different areas. These include legislation covering whistleblowers, official secrets, ethics and judicial standards.