Chapter 1: The Work of the Standards in Public Office Commission

The Standards in Public Office Commission (the Commission) is an independent body established in December 2001 by the Standards in Public Office Act 2001. It has six members and is chaired by a former Judge of the High Court, Mr Justice Daniel O’Keeffe. Up to 2015 it has supervisory roles under four separate pieces of legislation.

• the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, as amended by the Standards in Public Office Act 2001, (the Ethics Acts);
• the Electoral Act 1997, as amended, (the Electoral Acts);
• the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Act 2014, (the Parliamentary Activities Allowance Act); and
• the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015.

In addition to supervising the disclosure of interests and compliance with tax clearance requirements, the disclosure of donations and election expenditure and the expenditure of state funding received by political parties, the Commission serves as the Registrar of lobbying, overseeing the Register of Lobbying. The Office of the Ombudsman provides secretariat staff to the Standards in Public Office Commission.

A separate annual report for 2015 on the administration of the Commission’s other roles will be furnished to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in June 2016.

Further information about the functions of the Commission may be accessed here.

Further information about the regulation of lobbying may be accessed here.