Engineers Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Engineers Ireland

Date published 21 Sep, 2020

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Economic Development and Industry

Period 1 May, 2020 to 31 Aug, 2020

Specific Details Communication with new Government Ministers

Intended results Cabinet Ministers appointed in June by Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, & the newly appointed Ministers of State, were contacted by Engineers Ireland, to congratulate them on their posts and bring to their attention the broad scope of work of Engineers Ireland. Eight of the new appointees were asked for a meeting with Engineers Ireland i.e. those with a link to STEM within their remit (Science, Tech, Engineering and Maths) or to the importance of STEM to the economy and society.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Caroline Spillane, Director General of Engineers 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

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (21-30)

In these emails issued on 7 July, the emails congratulated the Ministers and Ministers of State on their new portfolios, & outlined briefly a summary of the work of Engineers Ireland. The correspondence indicated that if we could assist the Ministers or their colleagues in any way with their work, that they were welcome to get in touch with us as the professional body for engineers on the island of Ireland.

Email (6-10)

In these emails also of 7 July, in addition to the introduction to the work of Engineers Ireland & references to the Minister's specific portfolios, these Ministers and Ministers of State were also asked for a meeting time with Engineers Ireland: Tanaiste Varadkar, Minister Eamon Ryan, Minister Michael McGrath, Minister Darragh O'Brien, Minister Simon Harris, Minister Norma Foley, Minister Stephen Donnelly (also an engineer) and Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton. Note that these Ministers have STEM-related portfolios.

Email (1)

In August, an email of invitation was sent to Minister Eamon Ryan TD asking him to speak at our remote National Conference on 21 October. The Minister has agreed.

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.

Leo Varadkar An Tánaiste (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Eamon Ryan Minister (Department of Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport)

Michael McGrath Minister (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)

Darragh O'Brien Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

Hildegarde Naughton Super Junior Minister (Department of Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport)

Stephen Donnelly Minister (Department of Health)

Simon Harris TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Norma Foley Minister (Department of Education)

Catherine Martin Minister (Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media)

Micheál Martin An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Paschal Donohoe Minister (Department of Finance)

Simon Coveney Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Heather Humphreys Minister (Department of Social Protection)

Roderic O'Gorman Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)

Barry Cowen Minister (Department of Agriculture and the Marine)

Helen McEntee Minister (Department of Justice)

Dara Calleary Minister (Department of Agriculture and the Marine)

Colm Brophy Minister of State for the Diaspora and Overseas Development Aid (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Peter Burke Minister of State (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

Mary Butler Minister of State (Department of Health)

Thomas Byrne Minister of State (Department of the Taoiseach)

Jack Chambers Minister of State (Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media)

Niall Collins Minister of State (Department of Further and Higher Education, Innovation and Science)

Damien English Minister of State (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government)

Frank Feighan Minister of State (Department of Health)

Pippa Hackett Super Junior Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Martin Heydon Minister of State (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Josepha Madigan Minister of State (Department of Education and Skills)

Charlie McConalogue Minister of State (Department of Justice)

Malcolm Noonan Minister of State (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)

Joe O'Brien Minister of State (Department of Rural and Community Development)

Patrick O'Donovan Minister of State (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)

Robert Troy Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)

Ossian Smyth Minister of State (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)

Anne Rabbitte Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)