Disability Federation of Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Disability Federation of Ireland

Date published 20 Sep, 2019

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Community

Period 1 May, 2019 to 31 Aug, 2019

Specific Details Campaign to get candidates for the Local & EU Elections in May 2019 to make disability a top priority

Intended results Get candidates to: 1. Outline their positions regarding disability issues in campaign materials. 2. Commit as local candidates to improve accessibility, participation and planning around UN CRPD. 3. Commit as EU candidates to improve accessibility, eliminate discrimination and invest in people with disabilities. 4. Show their commitment on social media using #DisabilityVotesCount

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Allen Dunne, Joanne McCarthy & wider DFI staff

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)

John Dolan (Currently employed as a DPO) Senator (Seanad)

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? Grassroots campaign, communicated through the DFI website and www.disability-federation.ie/news/, mass emails, social media and events encouraging people to: 1. Email candidates using our online email tools 2. Organise a disability theme Q&A event 3. Contact media on disability issues 4. Raise awareness using our local statistics 5. Use #DisabilityVotesCount on social media

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Event / Reception All Councillors 6-10 co-organised Q&A events with local election candidates across various local authority areas

Event / Reception All MEPs 3-5 events with EU election candidates in various constituencies and asked how they plan to represent people with disabilities

Email All Councillors 6-10 emails to DFI and umbrella organisations and disability advocates promoting the campaign and inviting them to get involved

Event / Reception All Councillors 1 event with DFI and umbrella organisations and disability advocates promoting the campaign and inviting them to get involved

Social Media All MEPs 27 Tweets with each one tagging an individual EU candidate

Event / Reception All Councillors 7 events with local election candidates in various constituencies where we asked how they planned to represent people with disabilities

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (1)

1 email sent to all Party Leaders (as per SIPO list of registered parties 2019) and policy staff of all parties previously engaged encouraging them to use #DisabilityVotesCount and asking them to encourage their candidates to do the same

Email (1)

1 email sent to Minister Finian McGrath and Minister Shane Ross asking them to support and encourage independents to pledge their support to the campaign and to use #DisabilityVotesCount on social media

Email (1)

1 email sent to all independent TDs & Senators asking them to support our campaign through social media and to encourage all Local & EU candidates to pledge their support also

Email (1)

1 email sent to all local candidates in County Wicklow encouraging them to adopt the DFI manifesto

Email (1)

1 email sent to all local Cork City North West candidates encouraging them to adopt the DFI manifesto

Phone call (1)

1 phone call with candidate Jim Deane

Phone call (2-5)

1 phone call with Cllr Aoibheinn Tormey asking to put forward a motion to the council re: local implementation plan of UN CRPD 1 phone call with Cllr Adrienne Wallace asking to put forward a motion to the council re: local implementation plan of UN CRPD

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.

Finian McGrath Minister of State (Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection)

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