Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2025 was published on 10 February 2026. Ireland scored 76 out of 100 and is ranked 12 out of 181 countries which demonstrates a strong international reputation for fighting public-sector corruption.
Corruption negatively impacts society, individuals and business. It undermines democracy and the rule of law; allows organised crime, terrorism and other threats to human security to flourish; distorts markets and drives away investment; increases inequality; damages the environment; denies access to basic services; provides the wrong incentives and undermines innovation.
Responsibility for the development and implementation of anti-corruption policies in Ireland does not rest with any one body. A number of Departments, agencies and bodies have roles and responsibilities in this area. The competence to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute corruption is spread across An Garda Síochána and a number of other agencies with a mandate to tackle corruption.
The Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018 consolidated existing offences into one Act and created a number of new offences such as trading in influence and intimidation. Most offences carry a penalty of 10 years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine upon conviction. Irish corruption law has a global reach and is applicable to Irish nationals, Irish companies and persons ordinarily resident in Ireland when abroad.
In December 2020, my Department published a cross-government report which examines how best to tackle economic crime and corruption in Ireland, the “Review of Structures and Strategies to Prevent, Investigate and Penalise Economic Crime and Corruption”, also known as the Hamilton review. An all-of-government implementation plan to progress the recommendations in the review was published in April 2021.
One of the key recommendations made in the Review was the establishment of an Advisory Council against Economic Crime and Corruption. This Advisory Council was established in 2022 and is chaired by Mr Hamilton, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, and has representatives of various public sector bodies, academia, business, and civil society.
The Advisory Council has worked to develop a Multi-Annual Strategy to combat Economic Crime and Corruption. The Strategy’s overall focus is to strengthen Ireland’s ability to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute economic crime and corruption, while protecting public trust, economic integrity and Ireland’s international reputation.
I recently secured Government approval for the draft Strategy and work is underway in my Department to publish the strategy. An accompanying Action Plan is also being developed by the Advisory Council.
Furthermore, Ireland is party to a number of international anti-corruption instruments. These are the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Convention on Combating Bribery of Public Officials in International Business Transactions and the Council of Europe instruments monitored by the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). As such, Ireland is subject to the evaluation processes and monitoring arrangements associated with these instruments.
