Ireland’s lobbying review demonstrates why the quality of a register depends on both participation and the information made available to the public.
A growing register
The Standards in Public Office Commission’s 2025 report records 2,872 registrants at year-end, compared with 2,710 a year earlier: a net increase of 162, approximately 6.0% by IGAPA’s calculation.
At the time the report was completed, more than 14,337 activity returns had been submitted for the three reporting periods of 2025. The report notes that late returns can change this total.
Clarification as part of oversight
The Commission made 795 requests for further information during 2025. It reports that the required information was supplied and the issues resolved in all cases. A request for clarification should therefore not be represented as a conviction or a finding of unlawful conduct.
IGAPA perspective
For professional teams, a useful disclosure review asks whether an outside reader can understand the policy objective and the activity being described. A broad phrase about engagement may leave that reader with little practical information.
Our suggested editorial test is straightforward: give a colleague who was not involved in the work the draft description. Ask them to identify the subject, purpose and relevant period. Revise any part they cannot interpret confidently.
Researchers should also preserve the extraction date when using a public register. A report completed in June 2026 and a later live search may produce different totals without either being wrong.
These statistics refer to 2025. They are presented as a 2026 publication review, not as final results for the current year.
Primary source: Standards in Public Office Commission — Regulation of Lobbying Annual Report 2025
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Full datasets and legislative appendices are available for Corporate Council members.