Government and Policy Work

Member of the Irish Government’s Advisory Council Against Economic Crime and Corruption, Department of Justice (2022 until present)

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, lead author of the Committee of Experts on Public Administration Strategy Guidance Note on Lobby Registers (2024)

Independent (IRM) researcher for the Open Government Partnership, evaluating Ireland’s commitment to open government and transparency policies (2014-18)

Advisor to the Council of Europe, (the Venice Commission and the European Committee on Legal Co-operation, CDCJ) on lobbying regulation, 2011-2016

Selected Invited talks with Governments/Institutions:

·   European Parliament: Expert evidence given to the EP, Committee on Budgetary Control, Committee on Legal Affairs, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Joint Hearing, March 2015. Programme, here.

·   Scotland: Invited to give expert evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee on its Registration of Lobbying Act, November 2015 and February 2014. See here for 2015 session, my evidence starts around minute 52.

·   Ireland: Invited talks with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER), Government of Ireland, during the drafting phase of Ireland’s lobbying laws, Jan-Oct. 2012

·   UK: Expert Witness Appearance before the House of Commons, Political and Constitutional Reform Committee, London, April 2012. Expert evidence (audio) can be found here. The PCRC’s final report can be found here.  Later advised the Head of the Constitutional Reform Team, Cabinet Office when developing the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act, 2014.

·   Czech Republic: “Lobbying, Corruption and Policy Recommendations When Developing Lobbying Regulations” An Expert Panel Presentation for the Czech Parliamentary Committee Examining Lobbying Regulations, Prague, April 2011.  

·   Australia: Advised the Independent Commission Against Corruption in the development of its Report recommending a new lobbying regulatory scheme for NSW, 2010.