Speaking after the announcement that Fine Gael Senator Michael D’Arcy has resigned from the Seanad to lead a lobby group for financial investment companies, Social Democrats TD and co-leader Róisín Shortall commented:
“Michael D’Arcy’s appointment appears to be a clear violation of the Standards in Public Office legislation, and the public deserves an immediate answer about whether he has been in communication with SIPO and whether he applied for a waiver for the cooling-off period.
“Claims that he won’t be involved in lobbying for 12 months don’t stand up to scrutiny, particularly given the fact that IAIM is a lobbying organisation and as an ex-member of the Oireachtas he has full access to Leinster House.
“The revolving door between politics and private businesses jeopardises transparency and accountability in politics, and it is a practice which must stop if politicians expect the public to have trust in our Government.
“The Social Democrats have long called for an independent Anti-Corruption Agency, and we are once again repeating that call for an independent agency to assume the anti-corruption remit of SIPO and the Registrar of Lobbyists and strengthen ethics and transparency in political life.”
September 28, 2020