In March 2015, the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 was signed into law and will come into force from 1 September 2015.

This Act will enforce a mandatory online register of Lobbyists for the Republic of Ireland, where all persons who lobby public officials are required to register on the system. This is done through the register on www.lobbying.ie – whereby the Standards in Public Office commission (SIPO) is the registrar.

This is designed to create a full and comprehensive register of lobbying activities which will improve transparency in government decision-making.

The enactment of Act will impact on how RCSI carries out and records our interactions with all levels of Government and State bodies.