Kilkenny Council of Trade Unions

Lobbying Organisation Kilkenny Council of Trade Unions

Date published 03 Jan, 2019

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Budgetary matters

Period 1 Sep, 2018 to 31 Dec, 2018

Specific Details We met four of the six Oireachtas Members on 14 September 2018 for a Pre-Budget and Trade Union Issues Meeting.Matters discussed included the following: trade union recognition, investment in services, income tax realignment to the benefit of the less well off, VAT rate on the hospitality sector, social welfare rates, housing and health matters, education including restoration of career guidance and pay rates for teachers and in the primary sector we also discussed class size and school funding.

Intended results We want to see the policies we raised implemented in the Dail. We want to ensure that we move toward a more equal and balanced society and not the society given to us by successive governments whereby the gap between those who have and those who have not continues to grow.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity This was a meeting in which all the delegates of the Kilkenny Council of Trade Unions took part. It would not be accurate to specify any one particular person. The Chairperson of the KCTU is Veronica Drea and the Secretary is Phil Funchion. Nine Trade Unions were represented. These included the following: ASTI, BATU, CONNECT TRADE UNION, CWU, Forsa, INTO,MANDATE, SIPTU and the TUI. The Oireachtas members in attendance were the following: Deputies Aylward, Funchion, McGuinness and Phelan.

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

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Meeting (1)

The meeting took place in the Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny. The cost of the Room, tea and biscuits was paid for by the Kilkenny Council of Trade Unions. While all six Oireachtas members were invited only the four previously mentioned attended the meeting. This is an Annual event for the KCTU as it gives our members an opportunity to voice their opinions and policies on budget and trade union matters.

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.

Bobby Aylward TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Kathleen Funchion TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

John McGuinness TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

John Paul Phelan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)