Lobbying watch

Find and summarise lobbying returns, then connect them to the people and legislation they name. The register records declared activity; it does not show influence or outcomes.

Related projects: Lobbyieng (Robert McElhinney), Dáil Tracker (peweet), Oireachtas Connect (Oireachtas Connect). Not affiliated; see ../_shared/inspirations.md.

Calling the tools

Steps name each operation as source/operation (e.g. lobbying/lobbying_search_returns), using the typed tool name as the operation. On the default surface, run it with ireland_call, for example:

{ "source": "lobbying", "operation": "lobbying_search_returns", "args": { "query": "housing", "date_from": "2026-01-01", "date_to": "2026-06-30", "limit": 50 } }

If an argument shape is unclear, call ireland_describe with { "source", "operation" } first; it returns the schema and an example. search, fetch and nearby are top-level tools. If the server was added with ?toolsets=<ids> or ?toolsets=all, the typed tool can be called directly with the same args.

Steps

1. Search returns. Call lobbying/lobbying_search_returns with one of query (topic words), lobbyist (organisation) or official (a designated public official's name), plus date_from and date_to. Windows are limited to one year; split longer periods into yearly calls.
2. Page through. Use page until possibly_more is false or you reach a stated cap (e.g. 200 returns). Report total and how many you read.
3. Summarise. Count returns by lobbyist, public_policy_area_name and subject_matter_name, and list the officials named. Quote the intended_results_text briefly with the return url. Skip obvious test or placeholder returns (e.g. text "TEST") and say how many you skipped.
4. Link officials to members. For an official who is a TD or Senator, call oireachtas/oireachtas_search_members with { "name": "<surname>" } to confirm party and constituency.
5. Link to legislation (optional). If returns name a bill, call oireachtas/oireachtas_search_bills with title words to show its current stage and dates beside the lobbying dates.
6. Company context (optional). cro/cro_search_datasets points to CRO open data for a registered company; describe only what it contains.

Output format

Illustrative layout; the values are examples, not data.

## Lobbying on "housing", 1 Jan–30 Jun 2026 (Register of Lobbying)
Returns found: 916 (read 200). Test/placeholder returns skipped: 3.
| Lobbyist | Returns | Policy areas | Officials named |
|---|---|---|---|
Selected returns: <date> <lobbyist> — "<intended result, short quote>" (<url>)
Sources
- Register of Lobbying, © Standards in Public Office Commission, Lobbying.ie (PSI General Licence), retrieved <date>

Rules

• Follow ../_shared/citations.md.
• A return is a declaration of activity, not a meeting count and not evidence of influence or wrongdoing. Never imply either.
• Same layout for every organisation and official; no adjectives about lobbyists or officials.
• Do not add private contact details; the adapter already omits them.