ActionAid Ireland

Lobbying Organisation ActionAid Ireland

Date published 20 Jan, 2017

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Taxation

Period 1 Sep, 2016 to 31 Dec, 2016

Specific Details Petition: Double taxation treaties with developing countries

Intended results Call on Minister Noonan to implement ActionAid's tax treaty recommendations

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Olivia Lally, Campaigns and Policy Officer, ActionAid Ireland

Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?) No

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? We asked campaigners to sign an online petition directed towards Minister Noonan. The petition was hosted on www.actionaid.ie and www.thepetitionsite.org

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (100+)

ActionAid Ireland ran an online petition, asking members of the public to sign a petition urging Minister Noonan to Adopt the UN Model Double Taxation Convention between Developed and Developing Countries (the UN model) as the minimum standard, from which negotiations can begin; Include strong and effective anti-abuse clauses in all double taxation treaties; Introduce greater transparency by subjecting treaty negotiation, ratification and impact assessments to far greater public scrutiny; Review tax treaties across government departments to ensure objectives and potential impacts are in line with One World, One Future and Ireland’s policy coherence for development framework; Introduce greater transparency through public Country by Country Reporting. This petition was available on www.actionaid.ie and www.thepetitionsite.com and signed 5,248 times over this period.

Designated public officials lobbied

The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them. As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.

Michael Noonan Minister (Department of Finance)