SAFE Ireland National Social Change Agency CLG T/A SAFE Ireland

Lobbying Organisation SAFE Ireland National Social Change Agency CLG T/A SAFE Ireland

Date published 15 May, 2024

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 Jan, 2024 to 30 Apr, 2024

Specific Details Cuan - New statutory agency on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence (DSGBV)

Intended results Meeting between Cuan and Safe Ireland and its membership to highlight concerns and recommendations on a variety of issues which affect victims/survivors of domestic violence, namely housing (refuge) and data.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Mary McDermott, CEO Safe 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.

Meeting (1)

In person meeting on 22nd March with Mary McDermott CEO and Dr. Stephanie O'Keeffe, CEO of Cuan.

Letter (1)

Letter in pdf format attached to an email which was received from Dr. O'Keeffe by Mary McDermott on 5th April to provide an update on Cuan's implementation of the Third National Strategy Zero Tolerance Plan.

Email (2-5)

Email dated 12th April from Dr. O'Keeffe to Mary McDermott with draft agenda for members' meeting for Mary's review and request for list of attendees. List of attendees and amended draft agenda issued with meeting links in response on 15th April.

Virtual Meeting (1)

Microsoft Teams meeting between Mary McDermott and Dr. O'Keeffe on 15th April to discuss agenda and content for members' meeting.

Virtual Meeting (2-5)

Zoom meeting took place on 16th April between Safe Ireland's members and Cuan personnel including Dr. Stephanie O'Keeffe during which Cuan's plans for the sector and its own strategy were discussed. A meeting to discuss refuge development specifically followed directly after with attendance from Cuan and Safe Ireland members from refuge priority areas and those in the process of developing refuge.

Email (2-5)

Email from Dr. O'Keeffe to Mary McDermott on 24th April setting out Cuan's next steps in relation to data and the Cuan Hub. And request to have members participate in user acceptance testing (UAT). Response from Mary McDermott to Dr. O'Keeffe on 24th April set out Safe Ireland's concerns and points for Cuan's consideration. Subsequent email 25th April from Dr. O'Keeffe to Mary McDermott regarding their Hub's alignment to eSafe and requesting Mary go out to members for UAT.

Email (2-5)

Email from Mary McDermott to Dr. O'Keeffe 25th April requesting if Safe Ireland's eSafe Data Administrator should participate in the initial UAT group. Response received 26th April from Dr. O'Keeffe affirming same.

Email (2-5)

Email from Dr. O'Keeffe 24th April stated how Cuan is commitment to co-design and thanked services for meeting on 16th April and for their commitment to working with the new agency. She stressed the need for richer data and for various domestic violence services to be involved in user acceptance testing of their new system. Response from Mary McDermott 24th April explained that members are comprised of refuge and support services and raised the value of Safe Ireland's eSafe programme.

Email (2-5)

Email from Dr. O'Keeffe to Mary McDermott on 24th April stating that in developing a data hub Cuan, will need to work with a smaller group of services before bringing it a larger group. They need to have 80 organisations enrolled by the end of the Summer before they conclude the MOU with Tusla. Response from Mary 24th April acknowledged the content of Dr. O'Keeffe's email.

Email (2-5)

Email from Dr. O'Keeffe 25th April to Mary McDermott stated the requirement for Cuan to have data configuration completed for the Hub by early May. Response from Mary 25th April acknowledged the pressure Cuan is under and she agreed to put it to Safe Ireland's members who might be interested in being part of the initial focus group (Cuan's criteria is for the largest and smallest refuge and the largest and smallest support service).

Email (2-5)

Email from Mary McDermott to Dr. O'Keeffe on 25th April suggested that Safe Ireland's Data Administrator in Mayo might be a good person to speak with regarding Data. Response from Dr. O'Keeffe 25th April confirmed and that she would speak with Mary tomorrow.

Email (1)

Email dated 29th April from Mary McDermott to the CEO of Cuan provided an update of Safe Ireland's members meeting in relation to data and the Cuan Hub and listed the services and contact details for the managers who would be taking part in the initial consultation with Cuan.

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.

Dr Stephanie O’Keeffe Chief Executive Officer (Department of Justice)