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 20 Sep, 2017

Relevant Matter Legislation

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 May, 2017 to 31 Aug, 2017

Specific Details Amendments to the Domestic Violence Bill 2017.

Intended results To secure Legislative Amendments to the Domestic Violence Bill 2017. To secure coercive control as an offence in the Domestic Violence Bill 2017. To secure the inclusion of statutory guidance in the form of an open checklist of factors to be considered by a Judge when s/he must decide whether to make an order under the Domestic Violence Act.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Caitríona Gleeson, Programme & Communications Manager, SAFE 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

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members 1. Circulated by email on the 15th of May to all Oireachtas Members, SAFE Ireland's List of Proposed Amendments (May 2017) to the Domestic Violence Bill 2017.

Email All Oireachtas Members Invitation sent on the 19th of June to all Oireachtas Members to attend a SAFE Ireland Seminar on Understanding Coercive Control in Croke Park on the 11th of July.

Email All Senators Circulated by email on the 26th of May to all Senators additional information to SAFE Ireland's proposed amendments to the Domestic Violence Bill 2017 on creating an offence of coercive control.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Meeting (2-5)

1. Attended the Committee Stage of the DV Bill 2017 in the Seanad on the 31st of May and met with Senator Colette Kelleher re SAFE Ireland's proposed amendments to the Bill. 2. Attended the Committee Stage of the DV Bill 2017 in the Seanad on the 4th of July and met with a group of Senators in the Lobby after the proceedings re SAFE Ireland's proposed amendments to the Bill. 3. SAFE Ireland briefing on the 12th of July to Members and Staff of the Oireachtas in the AV Room, Leinster House on Coercive Control delivered by Professor Evan Stark, Davina James-Hanman and Caitríona Gleeson, Programme & Communications Manager, SAFE Ireland. 4. Meeting on the 12th of July with Department of Justice & Equality Officials (COSC- The National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence & Victims of Crime Office), SAFE Ireland and Evan Stark and Davina James- Hanman on coercive control.

Phone call (2-5)

Follow up phone calls with Oireachtas Members between the 26th of May and 30th of June to advocate for SAFE Ireland's amendments to the DV Bill 2017.

Email (1)

Follow up email to Oireachtas Members between the 26th of May and 30th of June to advocate for SAFE Ireland's amendments to the DV Bill 2017.

Letter (2-5)

1. Letter sent on the 1st of June to the Tánaiste & Minister of Justice & Equality, Frances Fitzgerald TD, to seek a meeting with her to present to the Minister, SAFE Ireland's evidence base for the need of a specific offence for controlling behaviour in the DV Bill 2017. 2. Letter sent on the 20th of June to the Minister of Justice & Equality, Charles Flanagan TD inviting the Minister to meet with Professor Evan Stark - a leading expert on coercive control in the context of domestic violence and be a speaker at a public seminar on Understanding Coercive Control on the 11th of July in Croke Park, Dublin. 3. Letter sent on the 1st of August to the Minister of State in the Department of Justice & Equality, Mr. David Stanton TD to request a meeting with the Minister to discuss SAFE Ireland's proposed amendments to the DV Bill 2017 and the evidence base for the proposed amendments.

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.

Colette Kelleher Senator (Seanad)

Ivana Bacik Senator (Seanad)

Rose Conway-Walsh Senator (Seanad)

Grace O'Sullivan Senator (Seanad)

Niall Ó Donnghaile Senator (Seanad)

Alice-Mary Higgins Senator (Seanad)

Martin Conway Senator (Seanad)

Lorraine Clifford-Lee Senator (Seanad)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin Senator (Seanad)

David Norris Senator (Seanad)

Marie-Louise O'Donnell Senator (Seanad)

Colm Burke Senator (Seanad)

Fintan Warfield Senator (Seanad)

Rónán Mullen Senator (Seanad)

Fiona O'Loughlin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Frances Fitzgerald Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Justice and Equality)

Shane Ross Minister (Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport)

Séamus Healy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Marion Walsh Director (Department of Justice and Equality)

David Stanton Minister of State (Department of Justice and Equality)

Charles Flanagan Minister (Department of Justice and Equality)