Irish Community Rapid Response (CRITICAL Emergency Medical Response)

Lobbying Organisation Irish Community Rapid Response

Date published 05 May, 2022

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 Jan, 2022 to 30 Apr, 2022

Specific Details On a number of occasions during this period held phone calls, virtual meetings and wrote to Minister Stephen Donnelly, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Michael Moynihan TD in relation to the need for an element of public funding for the charity funded HEMS service operated by Irish Community Rapid Response.

Intended results We wished to secure funding in the region of €700-800 per annum for the years 2022 and 2023 to enable the growth of the service whilst still offering significant value for money to the exchequer. The aim of the funds was to support the ongoing provision of the service as it recovered from the challenges that Covid 19 had on its ability to fundraise. The HEMS Air Ambulance service is costing €1.5/1.6M in 2022 &our funding shortfall due to macro economic factors & the war in Ukraine.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Micheal Sheridan

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.

Letter (2-5)

We wrote to Minister Donnelly on three occasions on the matter of funding shortfalls at Irish Community Air Ambulance due to the impact of Covid19 and increased taskings on our net cash position due to the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic and increased taskings as well as the need for a review of the then existing SLA which included

Virtual Meeting (2-5)

Representatives of the charity met with Minister Donnelly. Michael Moynihan TD and senior officials from the Department of Health on the matter of funding shortfalls at Irish Community Air Ambulance and the need to review the existing SLA that was put in place in 2019 and included zero cost to the exchequer for taskings.

Phone call (2-5)

Our CEO spoke with Michael Moynihan TD in relation to the need to secure meetings with Minister Stephen Donnelly regarding the funding situation at Irish Community Air Ambulance. Mr. Moynihan is the TD most local to the service base in North Cork.

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.

Micheál Martin Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Stephen Donnelly Minister (Department of Health)

Michael Moynihan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)