What other actions are in place to tackle bribery and corruption?

Since ratification, Ireland has been in discussion with the OECD in relation to Ireland’s implementation of the convention, and the OECD has suggested a range of actions to be undertaken by Ireland. Accordingly, the relevant Irish Government Departments and bodies have initiated a comprehensive programme to ensure that implementation is being progressed.
 
In addition to a range of measures to be undertaken by other state bodies, including other divisions of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Bilateral Trade Unit of this Department have responsibility for the following actions.

• To promptly take all necessary measures, including appropriate training, to raise the level of awareness of the foreign bribery offence within the public administration and among those agencies that interact with Irish companies operating abroad, including foreign diplomatic representations, trade promotion and development aid agencies.
• To promptly take all necessary action, in cooperation with business organisations and other civil society stakeholders, to improve awareness of the foreign bribery offence among companies, and in particular small and medium size companies, active in foreign markets, and advise and assist companies with regard to the prevention and reporting of foreign bribery; and consider appointing a specific committee in charge of developing and coordinating such awareness raising programmes.
• To establish procedures to be followed by public sector employees and development aid agencies, for reporting to law enforcement authorities in Ireland credible information about foreign bribery offences that they may uncover in the course of their work and encourage and facilitate such reporting.

In relation to Ireland’s compliance with these three responsibilities, it is particularly relevant that it is the development agencies, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland who have the closest engagement with companies in Ireland that are most likely to be exporting to foreign markets. Accordingly, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is arranging for these agencies to ensure that they are actively liaising with their client companies on this issue.