Under this Act, all forms of relevant interactions between lobbying bodies and Designated Public Officials (DPOs) must be reported by the lobbyists. The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) acts as a regulator for lobbying and has developed a Code of Conduct and established an online register of lobbying. Both are available at www.lobbying.ie.
The SIPO Code sets standards of conduct for persons carrying on lobbying activities. Any party carrying on such lobbying activities, including employers, third parties, representative or advocacy bodies and individuals alike, must have regard to the Code when communicating with public bodies and public officials.
Designated Public Officials
Section 6(4) of the Act requires each public body to publish a list of designated public officials of the body. The purpose of the list is twofold:
- To allow members of the public identify those persons who are designated public officials; and
- As a resource for lobbyists filing a return to the Register who may need to source a designated public official’s details
Designated Public Officials (DPOs) within the Teaching Council are:
| Role | DPO |
|---|---|
| Director | Dr Lynn Ramsey |
| Deputy Director | Phil Fox |
| Head of Professional Standards | Finola O’Dwyer |
| Head of Policy and Communications | Bríd Murphy |
| Head of Registration | Siobhán Healy |
| Head of Finance and IT | Harry McGeary |
| Head of Recognition | Laura Egan |
| Head of Corporate Affairs and HR | Ruth Flynn |
Working Groups operating under the Transparency Code
The Lobbying Act also requires the publication of information relating to any Working Groups that are operating under the Transparency Code. Such groups, known as “relevant bodies” qualify for exempted communications from the Lobbying Act and must conduct their activities in line with the criteria set out in the Transparency Code. A suite of information relating to the work of the group must be published on the organisations website.
The Teaching Council currently has no Working Groups in operation.