Irish Environmental Network

Lobbying Organisation Irish Environmental Network

Date published 20 May, 2020

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Environment

Period 1 Jan, 2020 to 30 Apr, 2020

Specific Details Emergency Powers in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020

Intended results Raised concerns regarding the legislative mechanism being employed for provisions to allow for relaxation of certain planning permission controls to allow for necessary response measures & essential services during emergency pandemic period, query and clarifications regarding how these will be time limited to the emergency period of the pandemic.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Attracta Úi Bhroin

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.

Email (1)

Phone call (2-5)

Letter (1)

Letter sent by email to Minister Eoghan Murphy, subject of which was: to raise concerns regarding the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on Public Participatory rights and Access to Justice, including: omissions in the communications and clarifications issued by the Department on the implications of s.251A in the Planning and Development Act. Requested that Minister Murphy engage with the issue to ensure that public participatory rights and access to justice are protected.

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.

Eoin Ó Broin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Alice-Mary Higgins Senator (Seanad)

Catherine Martin TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Eoghan Murphy Minister (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government)