Irish Association of Youth Orchestras Company Limited by Guarantee

Lobbying Organisation Irish Association of Youth Orchestras Company Limited by Guarantee

Date published 10 Jan, 2018

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Arts

Period 1 Sep, 2017 to 31 Dec, 2017

Specific Details Campaigning to stop the merger of the two RTÉ orchestras

Intended results The maintenance of the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra as separate orchestras by the involvement of the Ministers for Culture and for Communications, The Arts Council and RTÉ in a joint stakeholder process.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Allin Gray

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? To contact local representatives and relevant ministers to insist that government take responsibility for the maintenance of the two orchestras.

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members Not all Oireachtas members - the dropdown does not allow limitation on this. However, there are quite a number of TDs and MEPs on our general mailing lists that receive invitations to events etc. These were included in mass mailings to our members and stakeholders.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Letter (21-30)

Specific letters were sent by Allin Gray to Ministers Humphreys, Naughton and Madigan, to all TDs in Cork South Central (his constituency), Jerry Buttimer, Leader of the Seanad, to all members of the board of The Arts Council and to selected members of the executive, to selected mebers of the board and executive of RTÉ. Clare Daly, a board member of IAYO, also wrote to ministers Humphreys, Naughton and Coveney. Amy Gillen, a board member of IAYO, contacted Heather Humphreys, Ministers Naughten, Niall Doyle (Arts Council), Orlaith McBride (Arts Council), and TDs Pearse Doherty, Peadar Toibín and Niamh Smyth.

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.

Heather Humphreys Minister (Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht)

Josepha Madigan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Denis Naughten Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)

Michael McGrath TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Micheál Martin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Simon Coveney Minister (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government)

Pearse Doherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peadar Tóibín TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Niamh Smyth TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Jerry Buttimer Senator (Seanad)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)