Irish Foster Care Association (Irish Foster Care Association)

Lobbying Organisation Irish Foster Care Association

Date published 09 Jan, 2020

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Children and Youth Affairs

Period 1 Sep, 2019 to 31 Dec, 2019

Specific Details Breakfast Workshop - Making the Seanad Work for Civil Society

Intended results As a potential nominating body we wanted to explored further ways to progress our members public benefit interests.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Mark Turner, Chairperson

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.

Event / Reception (1)

The Workshop outline: 1. Gave a brief overview of the Seanad, its origin and role. 2. Explored the nominating process and the original intent to give vocational bodies a major role through their entitlement to nominate candidates. 3. Considered how the party political system became dominant to the detriment of the vocational / civil society voice. 4. The importance of having civil society represented in the Upper House. The seminar heard senators outline real examples of how they were able to act as advocates for civil society interests. There was an interactive discussion during which nominating bodies explored further ways to progress their public benefit interests.

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.

John Dolan Senator (Seanad)