Partly public
Asset declarations in Ireland: who declares and whether it is public
Laws
- Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 (No. 22 of 1995) (1995)1
- Standards in Public Office Act 2001 (No. 31 of 2001), which amended the 1995 Act (2001)3
Who must declare
Members of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, office holders such as ministers, who declare additional interests, and holders of designated positions in the public service.1
What is declared
Registrable interests set out in the Second Schedule of the 1995 Act as enacted: remunerated occupations above a threshold, shareholdings and similar investments above a value threshold (excluding bank accounts), directorships, interests in land above a value threshold (excluding the private home), gifts, property, loans or services supplied below commercial price, free or discounted travel and hospitality, remunerated positions as a political or public affairs lobbyist or adviser, and contracts with a Minister or public body above a threshold. The revised Act now sets the gift threshold for office holders in section 15 at 650 euros. It is an interest register, not a full declaration of assets.1,3
How often
Members furnish a statement of registrable interests within 30 days of each registration date. Office holders furnish a statement of additional interests within 30 days of the registration date.1
Public access
The Clerk of each House furnishes the register of members' interests to the Standards in Public Office Commission, has it laid before the House and published in Iris Oifigiúil, the official gazette. Statements of holders of designated public service positions are furnished to the relevant authority and kept for 15 years, and the Act read does not provide for their publication.1
Where to find declarations
Registers of members' interests are laid before the Dáil and Seanad and published in Iris Oifigiúil. The Standards in Public Office Commission (https://www.sipo.ie/) oversees the system.1,2
Who verifies
The Standards in Public Office Commission and the committees on members' interests of each House.1,2
Sanctions in law
On a committee or Commission report, the House may censure the member or office holder or suspend a member from its service for up to 30 sitting days. Under section 37 of the Act as enacted, offences are punishable on summary conviction by a fine of up to 1,000 pounds or up to 6 months' imprisonment, or both, and on indictment by a fine of up to 20,000 pounds or up to 3 years' imprisonment, or both, amounts stated in Irish pounds.1
Checked 28 October 2026.
Sources
- Electronic Irish Statute Book, Office of the Attorney General, Ethics in Public Office Act, 1995, as enacted (1995)
- Standards in Public Office Commission, Standards in Public Office Commission
- Law Reform Commission, Revised Acts, Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, revised (1 January 2026)