Ruhama

Lobbying Organisation Ruhama

Date published 21 Jan, 2016

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 Sep, 2015 to 31 Dec, 2015

Specific Details Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015

Intended results Full criminalisation of the purchase of sex Decriminalisation of those who solicit for the purposes of prostitution Tougher penalties for those who organise prostitution

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Sarah Benson, Ruhama CEO

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? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members 1 x mass email to all Senators with a copy of Ruhama's 2014 Annual Report and Press Release encouraging them to support key aspects of the Sexual Offences Bill 2015 1 x mass email to Senators encouraging them to make the progress of the Sexual Offences Bill an urgent priority 1 x mass email (personally addressed) to all TDs encouraging them to make the progress of the Sexual Offences Bill an urgent priority

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Phone call (11-20)

Calls to 4 Oireachtas members regarding the progress of the Sexual Offences Bill

Email (2-5)

Emails to David Stanton, as Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Justice Committee, in relation to the progress of the Sexual Offences Bill Email to Nessa Childers as part of a wider European MEP delegation visit to Ruhama, regarding the work of Ruhama (including reference to the Sexual Offences Bill)

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.

Ivana Bacik Senator (Seanad)

Fidelma Healy Eames Senator (Seanad)

Pádraig MacLochlainn TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

David Stanton TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Nessa Childers MEP (European Parliament)

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)