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 Historic Cabinet Meeting on Disability (9 January 2020)

Intended results For Government to take urgent action on disability issues in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, UN CRPD

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Joanne McCarthy, Ríona Morris, Senator John Dolan

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

Informal communication All TDs 1 Press Release was published on Senator John Dolan's website (www.senatorjohndolan.ie/news-media) on Wednesday 8th January welcoming the Cabinet Meeting on Disability but also calling for the Taoiseach and Cabinet Members to highlight certain matters which warranted serious consideration at the meeting. All TDs = All Cabinet Members.

Meeting All TDs The Cabinet Meeting on Disability which took place on Thursday 9th January 2020. All TDs = All Cabinet Members.

Informal communication All TDs 1 Press Release was published on the DFI website as part of the ODG on the day of the Cabinet Meeting on Disability calling for the Cabinet Committee on Disability to "show it is ready to get serious about the UN CRPD by establishing a Joint Oireachtas Committee on the implementation of the UN CRPD". All TDs = All Cabinet Members.

Email All TDs An email was sent to all Cabinet Members on the 9th January forwarding the correspondence sent to An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. All TDs = All Cabinet Members.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Letter (2-5)

1 Letter was sent to An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, from the ODG prior to the Cabinet Meeting on Disability on the 7th January seeking a meeting to discuss disability priorities outlined in the 'Briefing note from Disability Representative of the Oireachtas Disability Group to the Cabinet Committee on Disability'. 1 Follow up letter was sent to An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, from the ODG after the Cabinet Meeting on Disability on the 10th January.

Email (2-5)

2 Emails were sent to An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, on the 7th & 10th January with soft copies of the letters aforementioned. Note: All Cabinet Members were cc'd on this correspondence.

Letter (1)

1 Follow up letter was sent via email to An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, from Senator John Dolan on the 9th January after the Cabinet Meeting on Disability. Note: All Cabinet Members were forwarded this correspondence.

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)