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Must ReadRevolving Door
How 63 former politicians and civil servants lobbied their one-time colleagues dozens of times
The findings came after an analysis of more than 83,000 returns filed on the register since 2020.
AT LEAST 63 former politicians and civil servants have been named in almost 100 returns on the Lobbying Register as approaching one-time colleagues in recent years.
An analysis by The Journal of more than 83,000 returns filed on the register since 2020 found how dozens of former Taoisigh, Táinistí, ministers, TDs, senators and advisers from across the political spectrum have lobbied those they once worked alongside.
The lobbyists include former taoiseach Brian Cowen and former cabinet ministers Simon Coveney, Frances Fitzgerald, Mary Coughlan, Richard Bruton, Catherine Martin and Stephen Donnelly, as well as a handful of government advisers.
The disclosures illustrate the “revolving door” between public office and lobbying, as former politicians and advisers move into roles representing businesses, industry groups and charities seeking to influence government policy.
Lobbying is defined as any communication made directly or indirectly to a specific high-level official about a matter relating to public policy, law, or land zoning.
It can take the form of an email, phone call, an invitation to an event or an in-person meeting.
This latest list provides one of the most detailed pictures of ex-TDs and special advisers lobbying their former political colleagues, as recorded on the Lobbying Register administered by Sipo to make efforts to influence public decisions more transparent.
Prominent politicians listed among those who were approached include Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris, and party leaders like Labour’s Ivana Bacik and the Green Party’s Roderic O’Gorman.
The returns examined cover January 2020 to August 2026 – the end of the most recent filing period for returns – and cover lobbying for multinational companies, property interests, housing charities, trade unions and disability services.
Lobbyists must submit returns three times a year, identifying the officials contacted, the subject of the lobbying and the result they hoped to achieve.
They must also identify whether former Designated Public Officials (DPOs) – high-ranking politicians or civil servants – were involved in the lobbying.
The 91 disclosures listed here are supporting examples rather than a complete count of lobbying over that period: a return filed on the register can record several contacts, while the same activity can appear in more than one organisation’s return.
Lobbying former colleagues is not in itself improper and is a regular part of the political system.
By law, people who are considered DPOs are subject to a one-year ‘cooling-off’ period from lobbying after they leave office, unless SIPO grants them an exemption.
The list below features the names of those who engaged in lobbying their former colleagues since 2020, when the lobbying took place, their relationship to the politician or civil servant lobbied, and what the lobbying involved.
Where a specific date is not given for lobbying, the dates refer to the four-month period covered by the return. The examples are not a complete account of every approach made by each person in the course of their lobbying activity.
Aideen Hayden
Former Labour senator Aideen Hayden, who served in the Seanad from 2011 to 2016, is named in two separate returns for housing charity Threshold in which she mass emailed TDs and Senators between January and April 2021.
Those emails were sent to her former parliamentary party colleagues Alan Kelly, Ged Nash, Brendan Howlin and Ivana Bacik.
The charity contacted the politicians as part of wider approaches setting out its assessment of legislation (though it didn’t say what this legislation was).
Alan Farrell
Alan Farrell, who served as a Fine Gael TD from 2011 to 2024 and a senator until January 2025, was named in a return as lobbying on behalf of Liquid Gas Ireland between May and August 2025.
The return covered approaches by Farrell to his former parliamentary party colleagues Peter Burke and Jerry Buttimer.
The lobbying sought to introduce Farrell as the organisation’s new senior director for government affairs and policy and highlighted its priorities for rural consumers and businesses.
Anna Conlan
Anna Conlan, who was a special adviser to Green Party leaders Eamon Ryan from 2020 to 2024 and Roderic O’Gorman until January 2025, is named in a return filed between September and December 2025.
The return was filed on behalf of trade association Ireland Electrified, in which Conlan lobbied O’Gorman over an electrification action plan.
Averil Power
Averil Power, a senator from 2011 to 2016 who was a member of Fianna Fáil until 2015, is named in Irish Cancer Society approaches to former parliamentary party colleagues Éamon Ó Cuív and Michael McGrath in early 2023.
She is listed in an entry concerning an email to Ó Cuív on 27 January 2023 seeking information through a parliamentary question about hospital parking charges.
Another entry says she met McGrath on 21 March 2023 about access to financial products after a cancer diagnosis.
Bob Hughes
Bob Hughes, who served as an adviser to independent TD Seán Canney when the latter was a junior minister between 2019 and 2020, is listed in a return filed on behalf of Regional Newspapers and Printers Association of Ireland between May and August 2021.
The return records a request for a meeting with regional independent TDs, including his former boss, and concerned public policy affecting local news publishers.
Brendan Griffin
Brendan Griffin, a Fine Gael TD from 2011 to 2024 and junior tourism and sport minister from 2017 to 2020, was listed in a lobbying return on behalf of communications firm Hanover that was filed between May and August 2025.
The former Kerry TD lobbied his former parliamentary party colleague Jerry Buttimer to introduce the Electric Vehicle Charging Alliance for Ireland and to discuss transport electrification.
Brian Cowen
Former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Brian Cowen is named in a return as lobbying on behalf of technology company SuperNode in 2023.
It recorded a European Parliament meeting on 25 January 2023 with Fianna Fáil MEPs Barry Andrews and Billy Kelleher, both of whom were junior ministers in Cowen’s government between 2008 and 2011.
The lobbying sought support for offshore wind and electricity transmission technology, including the company’s possible eligibility for the EU Innovation Fund.
Brian Hayes
Brian Hayes, a former Fine Gael junior finance minister from 2011 to 2014 and MEP from 2014 to 2019, is named in a Banking and Payments Federation Ireland return as lobbying Paschal Donohoe between May and August 2025.
Donohoe was a Fine Gael parliamentary colleague during Hayes’ time in the Oireachtas, though their time in the Department of Finance did not overlap.
The lobbying concerned the use of building energy rating data in implementing the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
Brendan Tuohy
Brendan Tuohy, who served as secretary general in the Department for Communications between 2000 and 2007, is named in a return filed on behalf of the Local Link Network between September and December 2024.
He lobbied then-Green Party leader and transport minister Eamon Ryan about an Indecon report on the service.
Ryan had briefly been Tuohy’s departmental minister in the Fianna Fáil- Green Party government in 2007.
Caitríona Fitzpatrick
Caitríona Fitzpatrick, who worked as a special adviser to Simon Coveney until February 2019, is named in a filing for Hume Brophy for lobbying on behalf of development company Swanhall LT between January and April 2020 that included her former boss, as well as a handful of other TDs and Meath County councillors.
The lobbying concerned housing policy, the programme for government and the Meath County Council development plan.
She was also listed in other returns as lobbying Coveney on behalf of the charity Shine for its green ribbon mental health campaign between May and August 2023, and for the National Infertility Support and Information Group’s campaign on fertility treatment policy between September and December 2024.
Catherine Martin
Catherine Martin, a former Green Party deputy leader and Arts minister from 2020 to January 2025, was named in lobbying of her former party and cabinet colleague Roderic O’Gorman’s office between May and August 2026.
She sought a parliamentary question on national cultural institutions for The Model arts centre.
Earlier this year, Martin was also listed as lobbying on behalf of Ivors Academy to Conor Falvey, an assistant secretary in her department during her tenure as minister, and Martin Fraser, who was government secretary general during her cabinet tenure.
In another return from this summer, she lobbied Falvey on behalf of the Irish Writers Centre’s chief executive asking for a meeting to support potential funding opportunities.
Catherine Noone
Catherine Noone, a Fine Gael senator from 2011 to 2020, is named in a filing on behalf of Atlantic Youth Trust covering the period between May and August 2022.
The return lists her as lobbying her former parliamentary party colleagues Simon Harris, Simon Coveney and Paschal Donohoe, among others.
The lobbying sought public funding and support for operating a youth development ship.
Cathy Herbert
Cathy Herbert, who served as an adviser to the late Fianna Fáil minister Brian Lenihan before she left the government in 2011, is named in an Irish Tax Institute return for 30 October 2024.
It records a pre-election tax submission from that date which set out proposals on domestic businesses, investment and tax policy for the next government.
The recipients of the submission include Alan Ahearne, who was a member of Lenihan’s former advisory team at the same time as Herbert.
Charlie Flanagan
Charlie Flanagan, a Fine Gael TD until 2024 who served as minister for justice from 2017 to 2020, is named in a lobbying entry filed on behalf of the Irish Red Cross between May and August 2025.
The lobbying saw Fine Gael’s Jerry Buttimer – a former parliamentary colleague of Flanagan – approached about the operation of the CLÁR programme and extending funding through it.
Christy O’Sullivan
Christy O’Sullivan, a Fianna Fáil TD from 2007 to 2011, is named in a CoAction West Cork return between January and April 2020.
The return says he lobbied his former party colleagues Micheál Martin and Michael Moynihan on behalf of the disability service, which was seeking the reversal of an HSE funding cut, pay restoration for staff and funding for unmet and changing needs.
Ciara Conway
Ciara Conway, a Labour TD from 2011 to 2016, is named in a Baxter Healthcare Ireland return as lobbying her former parliamentary party colleague Ged Nash between May and August 2024.
The lobbying concerned the importance of the national outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy programme.
Clare Daly
Clare Daly, an independent TD from 2011 to 2019 and MEP from 2019 to July 2024, is named in a European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland return that lists her as lobbying Dean Mulligan between January and April 2025.
Mulligan was an Independents4Change councillor for Fingal during Daly’s time in elected office, and the lobbying formed part of a campaign to add socioeconomic status as a protected ground in equality legislation.
Deirdre Grant
Deirdre Grant, who served as press adviser to Labour’s former education minister Ruairí Quinn between 2011 and 2014, is named in a return filed on behalf of Gilead Sciences between May and August 2024.
It says she lobbied Seán Sherlock, another Labour TD who was a junior minister in the department of Education during Quinn’s tenure, about opportunities and challenges facing the company in Ireland.
Dick Roche
Dick Roche, a former Fianna Fáil minister who ended his tenure as a TD in 2011, is named in a lobbying entry for Alliance Aviation Group through Skill Set Strategy and Technology Services filed between September and December 2022.
The return says he lobbied his former party colleagues Timmy Dooley and Marc MacSharry about difficulties facing the company following the opening of Dublin Airport’s new north runway.
Dominic Hannigan
Dominic Hannigan, who served as a Labour senator between 2007 and 2011 and as a TD from 2011 to 2016, is named in two separate Coach Tourism and Transport Council of Ireland returns filed between May and August 2020.
The return says he lobbied TDs Michael McNamara and Róisín Shortall to seek support for the coach sector and highlighted the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.
All three were Labour colleagues before they left the party at different points.
Ed Brophy
Ed Brophy, who served as senior special adviser to Paschal Donohoe until June 2021, is named in a lobbying return filed on behalf of Amazon between January and April 2025.
The entry says he lobbied Donohoe about Amazon’s investments in Ireland and EU competitiveness policy.
Feargal Purcell
Feargal Purcell, who served as government press secretary to Taoisigh Enda Kenny and Leo Varadkar until 2018, is named in a return filed for Edelman on behalf of Airbnb between May and August 2023.
It records an approach to Purcell’s former boss Varadkar seeking to establish the latter’s availability for a meeting with Airbnb’s chief executive about the value of short-term letting to Irish tourism.
Ferghal Blaney
Ferghal Blaney, who became an adviser to Fianna Fáil further education minister James Lawless in July 2024 before joining public affairs firm Rockwood in July 2025, is named in a return concerning Digital Business Ireland that was filed between September and December last year.
It names Blaney as lobbying Lawless and others in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science about funding and supports for digital businesses.
Frances Fitzgerald
Frances Fitzgerald, another former Tánaiste and Fine Gael cabinet minister from 2011 to 2017, is named in a lobbying entry about a meeting between Simon Harris and Coca-Cola executives.
The return, filed under the name of public relations firm Teneo on behalf of Coca-Cola company European Refreshments, records a meeting this summer about the company’s contribution to Ireland, EU presidency priorities, tax reporting, research incentives and work permits.
Fitzgerald was 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.
Frank Fahey
Frank Fahey, a former Fianna Fáil minister and TD who left the Dáil in 2011, is named alongside Brian Cowen in the SuperNode return mentioned above that recorded a European Parliament meeting on 25 January 2023.
Like Cowen, Fahey lobbied his former Fianna Fáil parliamentary colleagues Barry Andrews and Billy Kelleher.
Gerard Howlin
Gerard Howlin, who served as an adviser to Bertie Ahern during the 2000s, is named in an MKC Communications return on behalf of the Irish Postmasters’ Union that was filed between September and December 2024.
The return says Howlin was involved in lobbying Deirdre Gillane, who also served as a Fianna Fáil government adviser in 2005 and is currently Micheál Martin’s Chief of Staff, and sought a party manifesto commitment to future funding for the post office network.
Grace McManus
Grace McManus, a Sinn Féin councillor in Wicklow from 2019 until 2023, is named in an entry about National Youth Council of Ireland lobbying that included a meeting with her former party and constituency colleague John Brady’s office on 3 July 2024.
The meeting was about youth work funding in Budget 2025.
Jackie Cahill
Jackie Cahill, a Fianna Fáil TD from 2016 until November 2024, is named in multiple returns from Veterinary Ireland about lobbying between September and December 2025 and May and August 2026.
The returns say he lobbied his former parliamentary party colleagues Seán Ó Fearghaíl and Mark Daly about legislation on the ownership of veterinary practices and the practice of veterinary medicine.
Jerry O’Connor
Jerry O’Connor, a former press adviser to Taoiseach Micheál Martin who also advised Katherine Zappone from 2016 to 2019, is named in a Community Foundation Ireland return about lobbying Martin between September and December 2024.
The return says O’Connor sought a renewed commitment to the national philanthropy policy in the next programme for government.
Jim Daly
Jim Daly, a Fine Gael junior health minister from 2017 to 2020, is named in a Rethink Ireland return that records an approach to Simon Harris between January and April 2022 about a proposed competence centre for social innovation.
Harris was the senior health minister during Daly’s time in the department.
Separate returns filed on behalf of Home and Community Care Ireland from September to December 2021 list former party and government colleagues Frances Fitzgerald and Leo Varadkar being lobbied by Daly about home care conference and workforce issues respectively.
Jim Glennon
Jim Glennon, a Fianna Fáil TD from 2002 to 2007, is named in multiple entries about lobbying by Dogs Trust, including through public relations company Edelman, between January and April 2024.
The returns say Glennon lobbied his former parliamentary party colleague Brendan Smith (as well as every other TD in the Dáil) about an Oireachtas briefing on dog breeding establishments, shock collars, microchipping and breed-specific legislation.
Joe O’Brien
Joe O’Brien, a Green Party junior minister from 2020 to January 2025, is named in two returns filed on behalf of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties last year.
They record emails to O’Brien’s former government colleagues in Fine Gael: Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who was lobbied in June 2025; and Simon Harris, who was lobbied in September and October that year.
The approaches concerned the Human Tissue Act and Palestinian human rights respectively.
Katherine Zappone
Katherine Zappone, an former independent TD who was children’s minister from 2016 to June 2020, is named in two returns by the LGBT Support and Advocacy Network Ireland and BeLonG To filed between September and December 2024.
Both returns state that Zappone was involved in lobbying Simon Harris, who was her cabinet colleague while she was a minister, and related to an event marking the anniversary of the marriage equality referendum.
Kathryn Reilly
Kathryn Reilly, a Sinn Féin senator from 2011 to 2016, is named in an Irish Heart Foundation return listing her lobbying of current party TD David Cullinane between September and December 2023.
Cullinane had been Reilly’s Sinn Féin colleague in the Seanad, and the lobbying by Reilly sought parliamentary questions about evaluating the sugar-sweetened drinks tax and provided information on sugar-related taxation.
Kevin Donoghue
Kevin Donoghue, a Labour councillor in Dublin from 2019 to 2024, is named in two separate public service union Fórsa returns listing party colleague Marie Sherlock as being lobbied between January and April 2025.
Sherlock, who is now a Labour TD, served on Dublin City Council with Donoghue until she became a senator in 2020.
The lobbying concerned healthcare funding and staffing, and approaches over the HSE perfusionists’ dispute.
Kevin Smyth
Kevin Smyth, who was the Department of Agriculture’s chief financial officer before retiring in 2022, is named in a Horse Sport Ireland return filed between May and August 2023.
It lists him as lobbying Fianna Fáil TD and former agriculture minister Charlie McConalogue and secretary general Brendan Gleeson, who served while Smyth was in the department.
The lobbying concerned Horse Sport Ireland’s pre-budget submission.
Liam Cullen
Liam Cullen, a special adviser to Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews during the 2008 to 2011 government, is named in a return for pharma company Janssen Sciences Ireland about a meeting with his former boss between September and December 2025.
Andrews was by then working as an MEP, and the meeting concerned third-party litigation funding.
Lisa Chambers
Lisa Chambers, a Fianna Fáil TD from 2016 to 2020 and then a senator from 2020 to 2025, is named in a return filed for advisory firm Consello on behalf of Analog Devices between September and December 2025.
The return records phone calls concerning the Finance Bill and lists Jack Chambers, a former parliamentary party colleague of Chambers, alongside government chief of staff Deirdre Gillane.
Lucinda Creighton
Lucinda Creighton, a Fine Gael junior minister for European affairs from 2011 to 2013 and a TD until 2016, is named in a Horse Sport Ireland return that was filed between September and December 2020.
The return lists her as lobbying Simon Coveney, who was a party and government colleague when Creighton was in Fine Gael, with the lobbying concerning the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the horse and equestrian industry.
Marc MacSharry
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.
In another entry filed on behalf of Pontis Advisory, MacSharry is listed as lobbying his former party leader Micheál Martin between May and August 2025 on zoning issues for Beldare Homes.
Mary Coughlan
Mary Coughlan, a Fianna Fáil cabinet minister from 2002 to 2011 and Tánaiste from 2008 to 2011, is named in two returns as lobbying on behalf of the Local Link Network bus service, one from January to April 2023 and again in September to December 2024.
In both cases she lobbied then Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, who was her cabinet colleague in the Fianna Fáil-Green Party coalition from 2007 to 2011.
The lobbying concerned the future of Local Link transport coordination units and progressing an Indecon report.
Mary Mitchell O’Connor
Mary Mitchell O’Connor, a Fine Gael minister and junior minister from 2016 to 2020, is named in a return as lobbying for City Colleges Education between May and August 2022.
The return names Mitchell O’Connor’s former party and government colleague Charlie Flanagan as being lobbied, and says it concerned the garda vetting process and how a school or college can be added to the list of organisations able to vet students.
Matthew Lynch
Matthew Lynch, who previously served as a special adviser to Simon Harris as Taoiseach in the last government, contacted his former boss 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”.
An earlier return from September to December 2025 also named Lynch in lobbying that included Peter Burke, a minister in the government in which he had worked for Harris, seeking Irish support for simplifying EU digital regulation.
Martin Mackin
Martin Mackin, a former Fianna Fáil general secretary who served in the Seanad until 2002, is named in a Merchants Quay Ireland return listing Taoiseach Micheál Martin between May and August 2023.
Martin had been a Fianna Fáil parliamentary colleague, and the lobbying – which involved dozens of TDs and senators – concerned proposals on drug treatment, homelessness, mental health and related issues.
Michael D’Arcy
Michael D’Arcy, a Fine Gael junior finance minister from 2017 to 2020 who subsequently served in the Seanad until September 2020, is named in an Irish Association of Investment Managers return listing from between May and August 2025.
The return says D’Arcy lobbied then-finance minister Paschal Donohoe, who was the senior minister in his department when D’Arcy was junior minister.
The lobbying concerned the establishment of a United Nations Development Programme global project office for sustainable finance in Ireland.
Michael McCarthy
Michael McCarthy, a Labour senator from 2002 to 2011 and a TD from 2011 to 2016, is named in a business group Ibec return listing former party colleagues between September and December 2024.
The lobbying involved contacts with current Labour TDs Alan Kelly and Ged Nash regarding the sharing of a Cloud Infrastructure Ireland report on offshore wind.
Niamh Allen
Niamh Allen, who served as a Green Party adviser in September 2024 before moving to Focus Ireland by summer 2025, is listed in a return as meeting John McDonald on 17 June 2025 about the government’s new housing and homelessness plan.
McDonald was Allen’s fellow adviser in Eamon Ryan’s government team, though he now works for Fianna Fáil housing minister James Browne.
A further Focus Ireland return records Allen contacting McDonald on 9 June 2026 about concerns over the Housing and Residential Tenancies Bill.
Noel Rock
Noel Rock, a Fine Gael TD from 2016 to 2020, is named in Irish Venture Capital Association and Scale Ireland returns listing former party colleagues between September and December 2020.
The returns say Rock lobbied Richard Bruton and Leo Varadkar, who were ministers while Rock was a TD about Budget 2021, a proposed taskforce and changes to the Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme.
Another lobbying entry says Rock lobbied two other Fine Gael TDs, Simon Coveney and Bernard Durkan, between September and December 2023 on healthcare policy and access to innovation.
Olwyn Enright
Olwyn Enright, a Fine Gael TD from 2002 to 2011, is named in two Samaritans Ireland entries that say she lobbied her former parliamentary colleague Richard Bruton between September and December 2023.
The lobbying concerned the charity’s impact report launch, and involved dozens of TDs and senators.
A DHR Consultancy return for the charity between May and August 2026 also saod Enright lobbied Jerry Buttimer, who had been a Fine Gael senator during her Dáil tenure, in lobbying promoting a national loneliness strategy and training on responsible language around suicide and self-harm.
That lobbying also involved dozens of TDs and senators.
Paul Bradford
Paul Bradford, a former Fine Gael TD and senator until he joined Renua in 2016, is named in a return by Vulcan Consulting – whose CEO is former Renua and Fine Gael TD Lucinda Creighton – for Forest Industries Ireland between January and April 2023.
The entry says Bradford lobbied Richard Bruton, a former Fine Gael colleague, about forestry policy and programmes.
Paul Fox
Paul Fox, who was a special adviser to Helen McEntee in the Department of Foreign Affairs until 2020, is named in multiple returns listing his former boss between January and April 2024.
The returns were filed by Pinnacle Public Affairs and concerned the online delivery platform Deliveroo; they sought to set out Pinnacle’s position on the EU Platform Work Directive.
A further Pinnacle return for the Dental Health Foundation, filed between May and August 2025, listed McEntee as being lobbied for oral health prevention funding in Budget 2026.
Paul Gavan
Paul Gavan, a Sinn Féin senator from 2016 until 2025, is named in a lobbying entry for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions between May and August 2025.
The return concerned the Raise the Roof housing campaign and rallies, and saw Gavan lobby former party colleagues Thomas Gould and Eoin Ó Broin.
Pauline O’Reilly
Pauline O’Reilly, a Green Party senator from 2020 to 2025, is named in two separate Irish District Energy Association returns regarding meetings with former party colleague Roderic O’Gorman on 1 July and 25 September 2025.
The first entry related to the National Development Plan and climate and energy funding, while the second entry said the group provided an update on district heating policy.
Philip Carroll
Philip Carroll, who worked as an assistant secretary in the Department of Agriculture in 2014 before moving to the private sector, is named in two separate Ibec returns listing the department’s Chief Veterinary Officer Martin Blake between January and August 2023.
The two had worked in the department at the same time, and the lobbying concerned overseas market access for meat, including beef, sheepmeat, pork and poultry.
Richard Bruton
Richard Bruton, a former Fine Gael minister and TD who left the Dáil in November 2024, is named in a Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI) return as lobbying some of his former party colleagues.
The entry lists Bruton as lobbying Fine Gael TDs Simon Harris, Jerry Buttimer and Frank Feighan between May and August 2026.
The lobbying concerned SERI’s pre-budget proposals, a social enterprise “new deal” and support through public procurement, in which the grouped return recorded different forms of contact rather than attributing each approach to Bruton personally.
Ross Mac Mathúna
Ross Mac Mathúna, who worked as a special adviser to agriculture minister Simon Coveney between January 2012 and August 2014, is named in a GSK return as lobbying his former boss between May and August 2024.
The lobbying concerned adult vaccination, and Coveney was among a wider list of recipients that included dozens of TDs and senators.
Sarah Meade
Sarah Meade, who was an assistant government press secretary from 2017 and later an adviser to Leo Varadkar until 2020, is named in a 150Bond return for Dott as lobbying the then Taoiseach between September and December 2021.
The lobbying concerned legislation to regulate e-scooters under the Road Traffic and Roads Bill, and involved multiple recipients in the Dáil and Dublin City Council.
Sheila Buckley Byrne
Sheila Buckley Byrne, an Athlone town councillor until town councils were abolished in 2014, is named in an entry as responsible for St Hilda’s Services lobbying involving Kevin “Boxer” Moran and Gabrielle McFadden between January and April 2020.
Both had served alongside her on the town council, and the phone calls that made up the lobbying sought the reversal of a 1% funding cut to the disability service.
Simon Coveney
Simon Coveney, a former Tánaiste and a Fine Gael minister in multiple departments from 2011 to April 2024, is named in a return as lobbying about the development of Bremore port, a proposed new deepwater Irish Sea port based near Balbriggan in Dublin.
He lobbied current Minister for Finance and his former cabinet colleague Simon Harris on behalf of Waterfront Advisory in August this year.
Stephen Donnelly
Former Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly, who served as health minister from 2020 to January 2025, is listed in an entry as being involved in lobbying by National Lottery operator Premier Lotteries Ireland earlier this year.
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.
Stephen Lynam
Stephen Lynam, was a special adviser to Paschal Donohoe until March 2018, is named in a Merchants Quay Ireland return listing his former boss between May and August 2023.
The lobbying concerned drug treatment, homelessness, mental health and related proposals, and involved dozens of TDs and senators.
Tom Kitt
Tom Kitt, a Fianna Fáil TD from 1987 to 2011 and former junior minister and government chief whip, is named in a Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation return listing Taoiseach Micheál Martin as being lobbied between January and April 2021.
Martin was a party and government colleague before Kitt left office in 2011, and the lobbying concerned the Department of Foreign Affairs’ continuing peacebuilding work in Haiti.
Tom Neville
Tom Neville, a Fine Gael TD from 2016 to 2020, is named in an entry filed on behalf of Neville International between May and December 2020.
The lobbying was undertaken on behalf of the Renewable Gas Forum about biomethane and cutting emissions, and involved Neville’s former parliamentary colleagues Martin Heydon and Leo Varadkar.
In another return filed on behalf of Titan Experience between September and December 2020, Neville also lobbied another former colleague, Simon Harris, about a wellbeing and activity platform for third-level students and staff.
Trevor Ó Clochartaigh
Several returns filed on behalf of Irish language broadcaster TG4 name former Sinn Féin senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh in lobbying involving his former parliamentary colleagues Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Peadar Tóibín.
The broadcaster’s approaches extended to politicians across several parties, and its approaches to politicians concerned funding for the Irish-language broadcaster.
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