The public standards watchdog says it's worried about the growing number of public bodies that don't fall under its remit.
The Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) says staff at newly-established bodies like Irish Water don't have the same obligations under Ireland's ethics laws as their colleagues in other bodies.
Usually the Minister for Public Expenditure (and previously the Minister for Finance) issues new regulations every time a public body is set up, extending the power of the Standards in Public Office Commission to cover its employees.
However no new regulations have been issued in around a year - because the government is instead focussing on a new Public Sector Standards Bill which would overhaul the sector.
In its annual report, published today, SIPO says the government shouldn't allow its work on the new laws to distract it from the need to update the current ones.
It says the new training agency SOLAS - which replaced FÁS earlier this year - and the new Education and Training Boards, which replaced the VECs, are among the bodies who aren't covered by the ethics rules.
