Social Justice Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Social Justice Ireland

Date published 19 Jun, 2020

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Budgetary matters

Period 1 May, 2020 to 31 Aug, 2020

Specific Details Wrote to the Programme for Government negotiating teams, setting out a 4-pronged approach to paying the costs incurred in addressing COVID-19.

Intended results To avoid repetition of the mistakes made following the banking crash of 2008 and the subsequent bailout, and to have the new Government adopt a progressive approach to the fiscal challenges Ireland faces in a post-Covid-19 world.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Dr. Sean Healy, CEO

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 (1)

We suggested Government should: - Ring-fence the COVID costs incurred in 2020 and 2021. Finance these with a very long-term low-interest loan (30 to 50 years) provided by the EU and the European Central Bank - Move Ireland’s total tax-take towards the EU average by widening the tax base in a fair and just manner. - Make savings on expenditure but not through cuts in services or infrastructure. - Adjust the EU’s fiscal rules to cope with the post-Covid-19 reality.

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.

Dara Calleary TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael McGrath TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Anne Rabbitte TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Barry Cowen TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Darragh O'Brien TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Thomas Byrne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Micheál Martin Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Simon Coveney Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Paschal Donohoe Minister (Department of Finance)

Heather Humphreys Minister (Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation)

Hildegarde Naughton TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Richard Bruton Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)

Leo Varadkar Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Catherine Martin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Neasa Hourigan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Roderic O'Gorman TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Ossian Smyth TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Eamon Ryan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)