Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC)

Lobbying Organisation Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC)

Date published 06 Jan, 2023

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Housing

Period 1 Sep, 2022 to 31 Dec, 2022

Specific Details FLAC sent a joint letter and briefing note to the Minister regarding a proposal to publish legislation amending eligibility for housing

Intended results The joint letter and briefing note sought confirmation that any change to the eligibility criteria for access to social housing supports will proceed by way of primary legislation and only on foot of a robust consultation process. It noted that the organisations would welcome an opportunity to meet the Minister to discuss the matters raised.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Eilis Barry

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.

Email (1)

FLAC sent a joint letter and briefing note (along with Mercy Law Resource Centre, Crosscare, the Irish Refugee Council, Community Law and Mediation and the Immigrant Council of Ireland) to Darragh O'Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The letter issued by email and post on 21 December 2022. The letter related to the published response of the Minister to a parliamentary question in which he proposed to “bring forward legislation early in the new year regarding eligibility of non-nationals for social housing, including provision for legal residence as an eligibility criterion in any assessment for social housing support”. The briefing note set out a number of preliminary concerns in relation to this proposal. The joint letter and briefing note sought confirmation that any change to the eligibility criteria for access to social housing supports will proceed by way of primary legislation and only on foot of a robust consultation process.

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.

Darragh O'Brien Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)