Irish Travel Agents Association

Lobbying Organisation Irish Travel Agents Association

Date published 20 Jan, 2021

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Transport

Period 1 Sep, 2020 to 31 Dec, 2020

Specific Details Covid 19 business supports

Intended results Financial supports for the Travel Industry due to Covid-19 pandemic and DFA travel advice leading to collapse in turnover for travel agents. Access to grants and financial supports for travel agents

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Pat Dawson

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? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? Pre budget letter / communications with their local TD. Supplied ITAA members with draft letter appealing for business supports to save their industry.

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members Pre-budget emails issued on behalf of Pat Dawson, CEO of ITAA, highlighting the situation Travel Agents are in as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Outbound Travel Agency Industry in jeopardy of close down. Seeking their support and calling on them to make representations to the Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure for budget support for the travel industry.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (6-10)

Email / letters to relevant Government Ministers and Ministerial advisers - seeking access to grants and financial supports for the Travel Industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Virtual Meeting (6-10)

Ministerial virtual meetings seeking access to grants and financial supports for the Travel Industry due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Virtual Meeting (2-5)

Meetings with members of the Oireachtas seeking access to grants and financial supports for the Travel Industry due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Meeting (1)

Presentation by Pat Dawson, ITAA CEO and Paul Hackett, ITAA Board Member, to the Joint Oireachtas meeting on Transport highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on Travel Agents and the Travel Industry.

Submission (1)

Written submission from the ITAA for consideration in the Joint Oireachtas Special Committee on COVID-19 response final report.

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.

Michael McNamara TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Richard O'Donoghue TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Kieran O'Donnell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Timmy Dooley Senator (Seanad)

Maurice Quinlivan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Cathal Crowe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

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

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

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

Darren O'Rourke TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Duncan Smith TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Catherine Murphy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Leo Varadkar An Tánaiste (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael McGrath Minister (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)

Micheál Martin An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Simon Coveney Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Stephen Donnelly Minister (Department of Health)

Paschal Donohoe Minister (Department of Finance)

Michael Lowry TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Melia Special Adviser (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government)

Róisín Shorthall TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mairéad Farrell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Damien English Minister of State (Department of Social Protection)

Paul McAuliffe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

John Lahart TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Stephen Foley Special Adviser (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)

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

Deirdre Gillane Chief of Staff (Department of the Taoiseach)

Ged Nash TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Fergus O'Dowd TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Imelda Munster TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe McHugh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jerry Buttimer Senator (Seanad)

Philip O’Callaghan Special Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)