Irish Episcopal Conference

Lobbying Organisation Irish Episcopal Conference

Date published 21 Jan, 2016

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Environment

Period 1 Sep, 2015 to 31 Dec, 2015

Specific Details Ahead of the UN Climate Change Summit in Paris, church representatives met on 18 November 2015 with the Ministers for the Environments in both jurisdictions and raised key concerns from a faith perspective by outlining the church's position on climate change in the context of Pope Francis' Enclyclical 'Laudato Si'.

Intended results To encourage the delegations to the Paris Summit, North and South, to call for ambitious and robust commitments to protect the poor and most vulnerable, ensuring that their approach is informed by the experience of organisations such as Trócaire working with those directly affected.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Archbishop Eamon Martin (Chair of meeting), with policy support provided by Mr Harry Casey, Executive Administrator of the Irish Episcopal Conference

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?) Yes

Current or Former Designated Public Official(s)

Martin Long (Former DPO) Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? No

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Meeting (1)

The churches’ delegation included representatives of: • the Catholic Church • the Presbyterian Church • the Methodist Church • the Church of Ireland • the Irish Council of Churches • Trócaire. The delegation met with: • Minister Alan Kelly, Minister for the Environment • Mr David Walsh, Assistant Secretary, Department of the Environment • Mr John O’Neill, Climate Section, Department of the Environment • Minister Mark H. Durkan, NI Minister for the Environment, • Ms. Mary Bunting, Special Adviser to Minister Durkan. All contact by telephone and e-mail in advance was limited to logistical issues e.g. time of meeting, format of agenda.

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.

Alan Kelly Minister (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government)

David Walsh Assistant Secretary (Department of Environment, Community and Local Government)