IE
(LRC Revised)
Statutory Text (1 Articles)
Number 5 of 2015
REGULATION OF LOBBYING ACT 2015
REVISED
Updated to 31 December 2025
Changes to legislation
as of 10 July 2026, this Act is up to date with all changes known to be in force.
This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Regulation of Lobbying
Act
2015. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function
under
the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to
undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.
All Acts up to and including the
National Training Fund (Amendment) Act 2025
(21/2025), enacted 23 December 2025, and all statutory instruments up to and including
the
European Union (Restrictive Measures concerning Iraq) Regulations 2026
(S.I. No. 1 of 2026), made 6 January 2026, were
considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.
Disclaimer: While every care has
been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume
no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning
the
accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not
accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify
any
errors, omissions and comments by email to
revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number
5
of
2015
REGULATION OF LOBBYING ACT 2015
REVISED
Updated to 31 December 2025
CONTENTS
PART 1
Preliminary and General
Section
1. Short title and commencement
2. Review of Act
3. Expenses
4. Regulations
5. Meaning of carrying on lobbying activities
6. Designated public officials
7. Other definitions
PART 2
Registration
8. Requirement to register
9. Register of Lobbying
10. Content and public availability of Register
11. Details to be supplied by applicants for inclusion on Register
12. Returns to be made by registered persons
13. Requirement for further or corrected information
14. Delayed publication
15. Evidence of entries on Register
PART 3
Code of Conduct and Guidance
16. Code of conduct
17. Guidance
PART 4
Enforcement
18. Relevant contraventions
19. Power to carry out investigation
20. Offences
21. Fixed payments
PART 5
Miscellaneous and Supplementary
22. Restrictions on post-term employment as lobbyist
22A. Sanctions for contravention under section 18(f) or of section 22(1)
22B. Matters to be considered in determining amount of financial sanction to be imposed
22C. Financial sanctions
22D. Appeal to Circuit Court
22E. Application to Circuit Court to confirm decision to impose major sanction
22F. Conduct of investigations and proceedings
22G. Giving of notices, etc.
23. Appeals
24. Further appeal on point of law
25. Reports by Commission
26. Delegation of functions by Commission
27. Amendments relating to Commission
SCHEDULE
Bodies that are not Public Service Bodies
Acts Referred to
Companies Acts
Data Protection Act 1988
(No. 25)
Ethics in Public Office Act 1995
(No. 22)
Forestry Act 1988
(No. 26)
Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003
Harbours Acts 1946 to 2005
Local Government Act 2001
(No. 37)
Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851
(14 & 15 Vic, c. 93)
Planning and Development Acts 2000 to 2014
Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001
(No. 45)
Public Service Management Act 1997
(No. 27)
Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012
(No. 37)
Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005
(No. 26)
Superannuation Acts
Taxes Consolidation Act 1997
(No. 39)
Trade Union Act 1941
(No. 22)
Number
5
of
2015
REGULATION OF LOBBYING ACT 2015
REVISED
Updated to 31 December 2025
An Act to provide for establishing and maintaining a register of persons who carry
on lobbying activities; to provide for a code of conduct relating to carrying on lobbying
activities; to impose restrictions on involvement in lobbying by certain former designated
public officials; to amend the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995; and to provide for
related matters.
[11
th March
, 2015]
Be it enacted by the Oireachtas as follows
Annotations
Modifications (not altering
text)
C1
Functions
transferred and references to “Minister for Public Expenditure and
Reform” construed (1.03.2023) by
Standards in Public Office (Transfer of
Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2023
(S.I. No.
89 of 2023), arts. 2, 3 and sch. in effect as per art. 1(2).
2. (1) The administration
and business in connection with the performance of any functions transferred
by Article 3 are transferred to the Department of Finance.
(2) References to the
Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and
Reform contained in any Act or instrument made under an Act and relating to
the administration and business transferred by paragraph (1) shall, from the
commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Department of
Finance.
3. (1) The functions vested
in the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery
and Reform by or under the provisions of an Act specified in column (1) of
the Schedule are transferred to the Minister for Finance to the extent
specified in column (2) of the Schedule opposite the mention of the Act so
specified.
(2) References to the
Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and
Reform contained in any Act or instrument made under an Act and relating to
any functions transferred by paragraph (1) shall, from the commencement of
this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Finance.
...
SCHEDULE
Short Title
of Act and Number
Provision
(1)
(2)
...
...
Regulation of
Lobbying Act 2015 (No. 5 of 2015)
The whole Act
(other than section 3 of that Act in so far as it relates to the
sanctioning by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development
Plan Delivery and Reform of certain expenses incurred in the
administration of that Act).
...
...
Note change of name of
Department and Minister to Public Expenditure, National Development Plan
Delivery and Reform (1.02.2023) by
Public Expenditure and Reform
(Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2023
(S.I. No. 19 of 2023), in effect as per art. 1(2).
Annotations
Modifications (not altering
text)
C1
Functions
transferred and references to “Minister for Public Expenditure and
Reform” construed (1.03.2023) by
Standards in Public Office (Transfer of
Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2023
(S.I. No.
89 of 2023), arts. 2, 3 and sch. in effect as per art. 1(2).
2. (1) The administration
and business in connection with the performance of any functions transferred
by Article 3 are transferred to the Department of Finance.
(2) References to the
Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and
Reform contained in any Act or instrument made under an Act and relating to
the administration and business transferred by paragraph (1) shall, from the
commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Department of
Finance.
3. (1) The functions vested
in the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery
and Reform by or under the provisions of an Act specified in column (1) of
the Schedule are transferred to the Minister for Finance to the extent
specified in column (2) of the Schedule opposite the mention of the Act so
specified.
(2) References to the
Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and
Reform contained in any Act or instrument made under an Act and relating to
any functions transferred by paragraph (1) shall, from the commencement of
this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Finance.
...
SCHEDULE
Short Title
of Act and Number
Provision
(1)
(2)
...
...
Regulation of
Lobbying Act 2015 (No. 5 of 2015)
The whole Act
(other than section 3 of that Act in so far as it relates to the
sanctioning by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development
Plan Delivery and Reform of certain expenses incurred in the
administration of that Act).
...
...
Note change of name of
Department and Minister to Public Expenditure, National Development Plan
Delivery and Reform (1.02.2023) by
Public Expenditure and Reform
(Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2023
(S.I. No. 19 of 2023), in effect as per art. 1(2).
CONTENTS
PART 1
Preliminary and General
Section
1. Short title and commencement
2. Review of Act
3. Expenses
4. Regulations
5. Meaning of carrying on lobbying activities
6. Designated public officials
7. Other definitions
PART 2
Registration
8. Requirement to register
9. Register of Lobbying
10. Content and public availability of Register
11. Details to be supplied by applicants for inclusion on Register
12. Returns to be made by registered persons
13. Requirement for further or corrected information
14. Delayed publication
15. Evidence of entries on Register
PART 3
Code of Conduct and Guidance
16. Code of conduct
17. Guidance
PART 4
Enforcement
18. Relevant contraventions
19. Power to carry out investigation
20. Offences
21. Fixed payments
PART 5
Miscellaneous and Supplementary
22. Restrictions on post-term employment as lobbyist
22A. Sanctions for contravention under section 18(f) or of section 22(1)
22B. Matters to be considered in determining amount of financial sanction to be imposed
22C. Financial sanctions
22D. Appeal to Circuit Court
22E. Application to Circuit Court to confirm decision to impose major sanction
22F. Conduct of investigations and proceedings
22G. Giving of notices, etc.
23. Appeals
24. Further appeal on point of law
25. Reports by Commission
26. Delegation of functions by Commission
27. Amendments relating to Commission
SCHEDULE
Bodies that are not Public Service Bodies
Number
5
of
2015