The Speaker of the House has released a list of members of the public who hold access cards to Parliament.
Lockwood Smith released the 15 names on Wednesday afternoon just hours before a Green Party member's bill seeking to make the lobbying of MPs and their staff more transparent was due to come before Parliament.
The list includes two former MP's spouses, business representatives, unionists and people in public relations.
Dr Smith says they were given approved visitor status only if they had been cleared by security and agreed to their names being made public.
He says he has released the names in the interest of transparency and to avoid any involvement of his office in the question of who may be considered a lobbyist.
