4 May 2006

Environment

Cooling-off Period For Senior Public Officials

Ciarán Cuffe asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he intends to introduce legislation requiring a cooling-off period for senior local authority staff intending to join private sector companies as is the practice in Britain and America; and if so, when he intends to introduce such legislation.

Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Roche):

The Code of Conduct for local authority employees published in June 2004 under Part 15 of the Local Government Act 2001 includes disclosure requirements concerning employment outside the local government sector and addresses situations concerning a conflict of personal and public interest. However, the question of local government officials accepting outside appointments or consultancies within a specified period following resignation or retirement is not subject to the Code at present. This matter is under active review and will be addressed in the context of an appropriate amendment to the Code that I intend to publish shortly.