COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE NOT CONSIDERED LOBBYING IN IRELAND

The following communications are Not considered lobbying in Ireland

1. communications by or on behalf of an individual relating to his or her private affairs;
2. communications by or on behalf of a country or territory other than the State;
3. communications by or on behalf of the European Union, the United Nations or any other international organisation;
4. communications of factual information made in response to a request for the information;
5. communications requested by a public service body and published by it;
6. communications forming part of, or directly related to, negotiations on terms and conditions of employment undertaken by representatives of a trade union on behalf of its members;
7. communications the disclosure of which could pose a threat to the safety of any person;
8. communications the disclosure of which could pose a threat to the security of the State;
9. communications which are made in proceedings of a committee of parliamentary houses;
10. communications by a designated public official in his or her capacity as such;
11. communications which (i) are made by a person who is employed by, or holds any office or other position in, a public service body in his or her capacity as such, or (ii) are made by a person engaged for the purposes of a public service body in his or her capacity as such, and which relate to the functions of the public service body;
12. communications which (i) are made by a person who is employed by, or holds any office or other position in, a body which is not a public service body, but is a body by which a designated public official is employed or in which a designated public official holds any office or other position, in his or her capacity as such, or (ii) are made by a person engaged for the purposes of such a body in his or her capacity as such, and which relate to the functions of the body;
13. communications by or on behalf of a body corporate made to a Minister of the Government who holds shares in, or has statutory functions in relation to, the body corporate, or to designated public officials serving in the Minister’s department, in the ordinary course of the business of the body corporate;
14. communications between members of a relevant body appointed by a Minister of the Government, or by a public service body, for the purpose of reviewing, assessing or analysing any issue of public policy with a view to reporting to the Minister of the Government or public service body on it;
15. The Minister may prescribe descriptions of communications which are to be excepted communications; and in determining whether or not to prescribe any description of communications the Minister shall have regard to the public interest in there being an appropriate level of transparency in relation to communications about any relevant matter and (in particular) to any arrangements for opening up such communications to public scrutiny.