One Family

Lobbying Organisation One Family

Date published 17 Sep, 2025

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Budgetary matters

Period 1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025

Specific Details Emailed and met with Craig Dwyer, Special Advisor to the Min for Social Protection Dara Calleary to discuss targeted measures that could be made that would have a positive impact on lone parents and their children. These relate to income disregards for lone parent payments as well as Working Family Payment, where different rules apply for lone parents depending on the age of their youngest child.

Intended results To advise about the need to increase income disregards for lone parents payments and issues around Working Family Payment eligibility for lone parents. We are also recommending a reduction in work hours for lone parents to reduce from 19hrs a week to 15 hours.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Carly Bailey and Karen Kiernan

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?) Yes

Current or Former Designated Public Official(s)

Carly Bailey (Former DPO) Councillor (South Dublin County Council)

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.

Informal communication (1)

Karen Kiernan met Craig Dwyer (Special Advisor to the Min for Social Protection Dara Calleary) at the National Economic Dialogue conference on the 16th June 2025. Craig agreed to meet us,

Email (2-5)

Karen Kiernan received an email from Craig Dwyer to arrange to set up a meeting date and requested further information related to issues around income disregards and the working family payment related to lone parents. Carly Bailey sent a briefing note on these issues to Craig Dwyer by email on Thurs 26th of June and it was agreed that Carly and Karen would meet Craig Dwyer on 3rd July.

Meeting (1)

Karen Kiernan and Carly Bailey met Craig Dwyer on 3rd July at DRCD office, Trinity Point. We discussed the briefing note and spoke about the need for targeted measures that would help lone parents and their children. Carly is to send on more information to Craig by email in the next few weeks,

Email (1)

Emailed a briefing note to Craig Dwyer that outlines systemic barriers faced by lone parents, cliff edges that occur with social welfare payments for lone parents, hours thresholds for working family payment and some policy recommedations on same.

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.

Craig Dwyer Special Adviser (Department of Social Protection)