The Union of Students in Ireland

Lobbying Organisation The Union of Students in Ireland

Date published 21 Jan, 2024

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Budgetary matters

Period 1 Sep, 2023 to 31 Dec, 2023

Specific Details USI's Pre-budget Lobbying during the Relevant Period

Intended results A reflection of the USI pre budget asks in Budget 2024

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Zaid Albarghouthi

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? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? During the campaign, USI held a protest to demand that the aks be reflected in the budget. USI asked students and students' unions to join the protest on October 4th 2023.

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members The USI Pre-Budget Submission was emailed to all TDs and Senators, to inform them of its publication and to ask to meet with them before budget day to discuss the asks.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (21-30)

Individual email correspondence with members of the Oireachtas or their agents including responding to replies received to the mass email referred to in the previous section.

Meeting (11-20)

Meetings with members of the Oireachtas to discuss the pre-budget asks.

Event / Reception (1)

Oireachtas briefing delivered by USI officers to members of the Oireachtas.

Virtual Meeting (2-5)

Some of the aforementioned meetings were held virtually.

Meeting (1)

USI officers met with the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science after Budget Day to discuss the implementation of the measures announced on Budget Day.

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.

Simon Harris Minister (Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science)

Mairéad Farrell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Fergus O'Dowd TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mairéad Farrell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mark Ward TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Martin Kenny TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Healy-Rae TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Richard Boyd Barrett TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Alan Ahearne Economic Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)

Pauline O'Reilly Senator (Seanad)

Maria Byrne Senator (Seanad)

Malcolm Byrne Senator (Seanad)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Patrick Costello TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)