The final report on lobbying activity on behalf of IMPACT trade union was submitted to the lobbying regulator on Friday 19th January. The report covers the period from 1st September to 31st December 2017. Any organisation engaged in lobbying activity is required to publish a return no later than 21 days after the end of the relevant reporting period.
IMPACT made eight returns for the most recent reporting period. The PSEU, another of the unions that formed Fórsa, submitted a nil return for the same period. IMPACT made a total of 89 returns since the register went live at the beginning of 2016.
The final lobbying returns submitted by IMPACT cover the following matters:
Additional lobbying, on the establishment of a pension scheme for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors, was carried out on IMPACT’s behalf by Pat Montague.
Ceased lobbying
Since the new union, Fórsa, was officially formed on January 2nd 2018, its three constituent former unions no longer exist. Fórsa has therefore informed the regulator that IMPACT has ceased lobbying, and Fórsa will be registered as a new lobbying organisation.
Penalties
Failure to submit a return of lobbying activities carried out during period by the deadline is a contravention of the Regulation of Lobbying Act.
New enforcement provisions under the act came into effect on 1st January 2017. These provisions give the Standards in Public Office Commission the authority to investigate and prosecute contraventions of the Act and to levy fixed payment notices for late filing of lobbying returns.
Fórsa members who undertake lobbying activity are not required to make a return unless they are lobbying under instruction from their union, such as in the event of a ‘grassroots’ campaign. All lobbying activity undertaken by Fórsa staff is reportable, apart from activity classified as ‘excepted communications’ under the legislation.
For more details about the legislation and the register, visit
lobbying.ie.
The full record of IMPACT's lobbying activity can be reviewed on the IMPACT trade union profile at
lobbying.ie.
