Disability Federation of Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Disability Federation of Ireland

Date published 21 May, 2020

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 Jan, 2020 to 30 Apr, 2020

Specific Details General Election Campaign 2020

Intended results Campaign to get candidates and parties for the General Election 2020 to make disability a top priority

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Allen Dunne, Joanne McCarthy & wider DFI staff (as part of the 'DFI General Election Campaign Team')

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? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? DFI ran a grassroots campaign communicated through the DFI website at www.disability-federation.ie/news/, mass emails, social media & events encouraging people to: 1. Use our email tool here to contact your general election candidates. Add in your own words or use ours. 2. For politcal parties and manifestos and disability policies click here. 3. For a list hustings click here. 4. Arrange for your local club, branch, organisation to bring up disability issues with candidates. 5. If you meet a candidate out and about, or if they come knocking on your door, ask them what they will do about disability issues. 6. Contact your local papers and radio stations to raise disability issues before the elections. Let us know on social media. 7. Get the disability facts for your county here and raise awareness. 8. Get on on social media using #disabilityGE2020 to follow and contribute to the campaign on Twitter @DisabilityFed and on Facebook @DFIIreland.

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Informal communication All Oireachtas Members DFI published 2 manifestos at www.disability-federation.ie/about/publications. 1. DFI's election "See, Hear, Act" manifesto 2. The ODG's election manifesto

Email All Oireachtas Members DFI sent approx. 10 mass mailouts throughout the campaign as outlined below: 17/01 - Introduction of DFI's manifesto "See, Hear, Act" 20/01 - Reminder of DFI's manifesto "See, Hear, Act" 22/01 - Email regarding DFI's National Husting in Galway 23/01 - Press Release for the launch of the ODG's manifesto 24/01 - Save the date for the ODG's National Husting in Dublin 27/01 - Campaign updates including links to DFI's manifesto, county disability factsheets & list of hustings being held around the country by the sector 30/01 - Reminder of campaigns updates including links to DFI's manifesto, county disability factsheets & list of hustings being held around the country by the sector 31/01 - Press Release on the ODG National Disability Day of Action & call to end Disability Poverty 04/02 - Email to all of the election candidates Party by Party welcoming the disability focus in their party's manifesto or calling for them to raise disability issues.

Informal communication All Oireachtas Members 1 Radio Interview with Kildare FM to discuss DFI's general election campaign and call the Government to face up to the disability crisis

Informal communication All Oireachtas Members 1 Press Article by the Connacht Tribune referencing DFI's manifesto asks = "DFI is seeking a series of key commitments from the political parties, which include an annual investment of of over €200 in community services for people with disabilities; providing proper supports for people with disabilities in the jobs market; and addressign the additional cost of disability in terms of jobseeker's and disability allowances".

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Letter (6-10)

Letters were sent to the Party Leaders of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Green Party, Sinn Fein, Labour & Solidarity People Before Profit in response to their manifestos encouraging them to produce disability specific policy papers & to have a disability specific policy launch.

Letter (6-10)

Letters were sent to Leo Varadkar TD, Roisin Shortall TD, Catherine Murphy TD, Micheál Martin TD, Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Mary Lou McDonald TD, Brendan Howlin TD, Eamon Ryan TD, inviting a representative from their political party to attend the ODG National Husting on Friday 31 January.

Lobby day (2-5)

DFI organised & co-hosted 2 hustings: 1. DFI's National Husting held on Tuesday 28 January in Galway. (attended by: Deputy Seán Canney, Deputy Ciaran Cannon, Deputy Catherine Connolly, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, Deputy Mairéad Farrell, Councillor Níall McNellis, Eoin Madden, Marian Spelman, Peter Kinvara, Niall Ó'Tuathail, Pauline O'Reilly, Joseph Loughnane). 2. The ODG's National Husting held on Friday 31 January in Dublin. (attended by: Deputy Jack Chambers, Deputy Bernard Durkan, Councillor Una Power, Councillor Dermot Lacey, Bernard Mulvany, Deputy Aengus Ó'Snodaigh, Councillor Dave Quinn).

Informal communication (1)

DFI election manifesto presented to Mairéad Farrell at the 'Equality Votes' event in Galway.

Social Media (100+)

100+ Tweets posted throughout the campaign using the #disabilityGE2020 12 Facebook posts throughout the campaign using the #disabilityGE2020 25 Instagram posts throughout the campaign using the #disabilityGE2020

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.

Leo Varadkar Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Micheál Martin Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Eamon Ryan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mary Lou McDonald TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Brendan Howlin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Richard Boyd Barrett TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Catherine Murphy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Róisín Shorthall TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mairéad Farrell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jack Chambers TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Dermot Lacey Councillor (Dublin City Council)

Una Power Councillor (Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council)

Dave Quinn Councillor (Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Bernard Durkan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Canney TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ciaran Cannon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Catherine Connolly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Éamon Ó Cuív TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)