Irish politicians, advisers granted near-universal cooling-off waivers for private-sector moves

Records show the Standards in Public Office Commission approved waivers for nearly all 54 applications over 11 years, allowing politicians and special advisers to bypass the cooling-off period when moving to the private sector. This suggests the revolving-door safeguard is being routinely circumvented, raising governance concerns. The extent of any abuse or systemic weakness remains unclear, but the pattern is notable.