FOUR FORMER MINISTERS and a former special adviser lobbied their one-time government colleagues over the summer, according to latest disclosures on the Lobbying Register.

The disclosures, covering the period from May to August, are among a series of returns recording lobbying involving former ministers, TDs and advisers and their former political colleagues.

They are listed on the register, which acts as a public database to make efforts to influence public policy and decisions more transparent.

They included two former Cabinet colleagues and an ex-special adviser to Tánaiste Simon Harris who lobbied the Fine Gael leader over the summer.

Former Green Party deputy leader Catherine Martin lobbied current leader Roderic O’Gorman, while former Fianna Fáil minister Stephen Donnelly was involved in lobbying current Fine Gael TD Frank Feighan, who was a junior minister in the Department of Health when Donnelly was health minister.  

The disclosures show that Matthew Lynch, who previously served as a special adviser to Harris as Taoiseach in the last government, contacted him on behalf of Facebook and Instagram owner Meta between 1 May and 31 August.

The filing on the Lobbying Register states that Lynch emailed the minister for finance to update him on the steps “Meta is taking to address fraud and scams”.

Former Fine Gael minister Simon Coveney was also named in a separate entry as lobbying Harris about the development of Bremore port, a proposed new deepwater Irish Sea port based near Balbriggan in Dublin.

The former Tánaiste was named in a return filed by Waterfront Advisory on behalf of Bremore Ireland Port DAC.

The entry recorded a meeting at the Department of Finance on 26 August to brief Harris on progress with the development of the proposed port.

Another former Tánaiste and Fine Gael colleague, Frances Fitzgerald, was similarly listed in a lobbying entry about a meeting between Harris and Coca-Cola executives.

Fitzgerald is named in a return as acting for PR company Teneo, filed on behalf of Coca-Cola company European Refreshments Unlimited Company.

The return lists a meeting that involved Coca-Cola president and chief financial officer John Murphy and covered the company’s contribution to Ireland, Ireland’s EU presidency priorities, Pillar Two tax reporting, research and development incentives, and proposals to streamline the visa and work permit system.

Fitzgerald was just listed as being involved in the lobbying, though another individual, Mike Miley, was named as primarily responsible for the lobbying.

The return does not establish whether Fitzgerald attended or helped arrange the meeting.

Other returns on the register include former Green minister Martin and Fianna Fáil minister Donnelly, former Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry, former Fine Gael junior minister Brian Hayes, and former Sinn Féin senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh.

Brian Hayes, a former Fine Gael TD, senator, MEP and junior minister, was listed as lobbying Harris on savings and investment accounts and bank competitiveness on behalf of the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland.

Former Arts minister Martin is listed in another entry as being involved in an approach to the office of her former Green Party and Cabinet colleague Roderic O’Gorman.

The return by Saoirse Glan Teoranta, on behalf of The Model, records a request for a parliamentary question concerning national cultural institutions.

The disclosure records the request to O’Gorman’s office, though it does not say whether a question was subsequently submitted or what answer was received.

Former health minister Donnelly is listed in another entry as being involved in lobbying by National Lottery operator Premier Lotteries Ireland.

The return concerns policy and regulatory developments directly affecting the National Lottery and lists Frank Feighan and Suzanne Coogan as the officials lobbied.

Feighan previously served as a junior minister in the Department of Health while Donnelly was minister.

The entry states that another person, Jennifer Crowe, was primarily responsible for the lobbying, and Donnelly’s inclusion does not establish which contacts he made.

Another former Fianna Fáil TD, Marc MacSharry, is named in a Pontis Advisory return concerning a request for assistance with family reunification.

The lobbying, carried out for Blue Rock Limited, sought help for an employee or manager who wanted to be reunited with his wife from abroad.

The officials listed include MacSharry’s former Fianna Fáil parliamentary colleague and current Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan.

Meanwhile, five TG4 returns name former Sinn Féin senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh in lobbying involving politicians including his former parliamentary colleagues Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Peadar Tóibín.

The broadcaster’s approaches extended to politicians across several parties.

The Lobbying Register requires those making returns to identify any former Designated Public Officials involved, which includes former ministers and special advisers.

The practice of lobbying former colleagues is not in itself improper, although certain DPOs are subject to a mandatory one-year restriction on specified lobbying activities unless permission is granted by the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo).

Earlier this year, Sipo revealed that 21 former officials requested an exemption from the cooling-off period last year, which occurred after the 2024 general election.

Sipo said in its annual lobbying regulation report that the 21 people who applied for the waiver included two former ministers, a minister of state, 17 ministerial advisers and one public servant.