Responsible Retailing of Alcohol Ireland Limited (RRAI)

Lobbying Organisation Responsible Retailing of Alcohol Ireland Limited (RRAI)

Date published 17 Jan, 2018

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 Sep, 2017 to 31 Dec, 2017

Specific Details Communication with relevant stakeholders on the 9th RRAI Annual Compliance Report and on the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill

Intended results Communicate to relevant stakeholders the ongoing work of the RRAI and the extremely high levels of compliance achieved by its member to the Code of Practice on the display and sale of alcohol products in mixed trading premises agreed under the auspices of the Department of Health and the Department of Justice in 2009. Communicate to relevant stakeholders those elements within the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill which the RRAI supported and those elements which the RRAI believed required amendment to ensure it delivered on the mutually agreed policy objective of reducing alcohol misuse.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Mr. Padraic White, Independent Chairperson Responsible Retailing of Alcohol 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? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Letter All Oireachtas Members Copy of the 9th RRAI Annual Compliance Report circulated to all members of the Oireachtas on 28 September 2017 (including the Minister for Health and the Minister for Justice). This document set out the independently audited outcomes of compliance by members of the RRAI to a Code of Practice agreed under the auspices of the Department of Health and Department of Justice in 2009.

Letter All Oireachtas Members Copy of RRAI Briefing Document first issued to members of the Oirecahtas on 18 November 2016 reissued on 06 October 2017. This document set out those elements within Section 20 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill which the members of the RRAI supported and those elements they sought modification on with supporting reasoning.

Letter All Oireachtas Members Copy of an RRAI Newsletter issued to all members of the Oireachtas on 03 November 2017. This document summarised the RRAI analysis of a Government amendment to Section 20 of the PHAB published on 02 November, the substantive changes to the proposed Bill which the RRAI supported and those elements it continued to have reservations with.

Email All Oireachtas Members Copy of an RRAI Statement issued to all members of the Oireachtas on 14 December 2017 confirming its support for the Government amendment to Section 22 (formerly Section 20) of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill in advance of the Final Stage debate in Seanad Eireann on 15 December 2017.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Letter (1)

Letter sent to Minister Simon Harris TD, Minister for Health on 06 October 2017 which sought clarification on possible Government amendments to Section 20 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill as reported in the Irish Independent on 04 October 2017. The Independent Chairperson of the RRAI requested a meeting with Minister Harris to discuss these matters.

Letter (1)

Letter sent to Minister Simon Harris TD, Minister for Health on 07 December 2017. This letter followed a consultation meeting held with officials from the Department of Health on 17 November 2017. The letter set out proposed amendments to Section 22 (formerly Section 20) of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill endorsed by all mixed trade retail bodies and developed to meet the criteria set out by Minister Harris at the Committee Stage debate in the Seanad on 08 November 2017.

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.

Simon Harris Minister (Department of Health)