Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Lobbying Organisation Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Date published 22 Sep, 2017

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Foreign Affairs

Period 1 May, 2017 to 31 Aug, 2017

Specific Details Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) raised the movements concern that changing the Irish Navy’s involvement in operation PONTUS to operation SOPHIA could divert capacity and resources away from running a dedicated search and rescue response aimed at saving lives in the Central Mediterranean.

Intended results That the Irish government would support the continuation of the dedicated search and rescue operation PONTUS over that of the militarily focused operation SOPHIA.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Sam Taylor

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)

Ahead of the government's motion on Defence in July 2017, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) wrote to the list of DPOs below. The letter noted that Ireland's role in actively performing search and rescue operations at sea under operation PONTUS is unique and should be replicated by other states; not diluted and pivoted into the militarily focused operation SOPHIA which does not have a dedicated search and rescue mandate.

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.

Maureen O’Sullivan Registrar of Companies (Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation)

Brendan Howlin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Crowe TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Gerry Adams TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paul Kehoe Minister of State (Department of Defence)

Regina Doherty Government Chief Whip and Minister (Department of the Taoiseach)

Helen McEntee Minister of State (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Simon Coveney Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)

Leo Varadkar Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Michael Moynihan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Lisa Chambers TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Brendan Smith TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

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

Micheál Martin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Haughey TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Seán Sherlock TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)