Irish Penal Reform Trust

Lobbying Organisation Irish Penal Reform Trust

Date published 19 Jan, 2024

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 Sep, 2023 to 31 Dec, 2023

Specific Details Letter to Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, requesting a meeting with IPRT.

Intended results To discuss penal reform priorities of IPRT and possible policy developments in this area with the Minister for Justice, with a view to securing support for penal reform.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Saoirse Brady, Executive Director, IPRT

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.

Letter (1)

Email letter from Saoirse Brady, Executive Director, to Minister McEntee, on 21 December, to request a meeting to discuss the penal reform priorities for 2024 for IPRT. Priorities highlighted included overcrowding, implementation of the Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 & High-Level Task Force for mental health and addiction issues, investment in alternatives to imprisonment, ratification of OPCAT & the need to establish the Penal Consultative Forum.

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.

Helen McEntee Minister (Department of Justice)