SAFE Ireland National Social Change Agency CLG T/A SAFE Ireland

Lobbying Organisation SAFE Ireland National Social Change Agency CLG T/A SAFE Ireland

Date published 09 Jan, 2023

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 Sep, 2022 to 31 Dec, 2022

Specific Details Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 submission

Intended results Influence Government legislation by asking it to consider Safe Ireland's recommendations on Criminal Justice Bill (Miscellaneous Provisions) 2020

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Caroline Counihan BL, Legal Advisor

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

Email All Oireachtas Members Email to all TDs and Senators on 10th October 2022 with a pdf attachment of a copy of Safe Ireland's submission which includes observations and proposed amendments to the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 for their consideration.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

Email to Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee on 10th October 2022 with a pdf attachment of a copy of Safe Ireland's submission prepared by Caroline Counihan BL which included observations and proposed amendments to the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020 for her consideration.

Email (2-5)

Responses to mass communication: Email from Deputy Joan Collins 10th October 2022 acknowledging receipt; Email from Senator David Norris 11th October confirming receipt and that he will revert if he has any queries; Email from Bernard Durkan TD 11th October to say he will contact the Minister for Justice in relation to same matter; Email from Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill 11th October to say she hopes to get speaking time in the Dail on it the next day.

Email (2-5)

Email from Bernard Durkan TD on 4th November 2022 with Minister Helen McEntee's response to him dated 1st November saying that the legislation will complete and be enacted before the end of the year, or at latest in January. Email of thanks issued in return to Bernard Durkan TD by Safe Ireland on 4th November 2022.

Email (1)

Email from Minister for Justice to Safe Ireland saying that she is committed to strengthening the legislation in this area to make stalking and non-fatal strangulation standalone offence, and to increase the maximum sentence for assault causing harm from five years to ten years. She hopes that the legislation will complete and be enacted before the end of the year, or at latest in January.

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.

Helen McEntee Minister (Department of Justice)

Bernard Durkan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)