Bookselling Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Bookselling Ireland

Date published 20 Jan, 2023

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Education and Training

Period 1 Sep, 2022 to 31 Dec, 2022

Specific Details Provision of free schoolbooks to primary school children, as announced in September 2022 in Budget 2023.

Intended results A meeting with the Minister To announce our support for the principle of the programme To offer assistance in developing a workable mechanism for delivering the programme To emphasise the importance of schoolbook sales to the survival of bookshops, especially in rural areas and small towns

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Aoife Roantree, Chair of Bookselling Ireland

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 (6-10)

Email to Minister Foley on 29/09/22, outlining position and seeking meeting. Email to Derek Newcombe on 12/10/22 to follow-up on email to Minister Foley. Email to Sec Gen McNally on 4/11/22 to follow-up. Email to Sec Gen McNally and Grainne Egan at Dept of Education on 6/12/22, replying to email and following-up. Email to Grainne Egan on 7/12/22, requesting addition of Bookselling Ireland executive committee members to meeting invite list. Email to Deirdre Shanley and Grainne Egan at Dept of Edcuation on 20/12/22, following up on meeting held on 14/12/22.

Virtual Meeting (1)

Virtual meeting on 14/12/22 between Deirdre Shanley, Grainne Egan, Ania Carberry from Dept of Education and members of Booksellers Association/Bookselling Ireland executive committee: Aoife Roantree, Dawn Behan, Tomás Kenny, Cian Byrne, Howard Davies, and Alan Staton.

Letter (1)

Letter to Minister Foley on 29/09/22, outlining position and requesting meeting.

Phone call (2-5)

3 phone calls to the Minister's office, to follow up on our initial email and to request a meeting. None successful.

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.

Norma Foley Minister (Department of Education)

Bernie McNally Secretary General (Department of Education)

Deirdre Shanley Assistant Secretary (Department of Education)