The Cabinet has agreed in principle to new anti-corruption legislation which will make TDs, senators, MEPs and councillors liable to prosecution in the same way as cabinet ministers and other senior office-holders. The new measures will provide for prison sentences of up to seven years and fines of up to £50,000.
The proposals also extend existing political corruption laws to include European Union members and officials, judges of national, foreign and international courts, and certain other foreign public officials, where they are accused of acts of corruption occurring partly or wholly within the State.
In addition, the offence of corruption is to be given "extra-territorial effect", making Irish office holders and officials liable to prosecution even where the offence occurs abroad. The proposals, agreed by ministers yesterday, will now go for drafting and a Bill is expected to come before the Dail later in the year.
At present, TDs and senators accused of corruption are subject to common law only, and political sources have said changes were necessary because the common law provisions were "notoriously difficult to prove". The 1995 Ethics in Public Office Act, passed by the Rainbow Coalition, closed off loopholes in the existing anti-corruption laws, but measures dealing with abuses by senior office-holders were not extended to lower-ranking politicians.
The new legislation will enable Ireland to implement a number of international agreements on corruption. These include an EU convention against corruption among officials of the community or of member states, and an OECD convention on bribery of officials involved in international business.
