Irish Sudden Infant Death Association (FirstLight )

Lobbying Organisation Irish Sudden Infant Death Association

Date published 10 Jan, 2022

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Finance

Period 1 Sep, 2021 to 31 Dec, 2021

Specific Details Request for grant support to FirstLight to enable the organisation provide professional counselling and therapeutic support services to families in Ireland experiencing the sudden unexpected death of their children, in circumstances where the organisation provides these services free to bereaved families, where there are very limited State agency supports for such families, and where the HSE provides relatively small amounts of grant support to FirstLight.

Intended results Additional HSE funding for services to suddenly bereaved families.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Fionnuala Sheehan

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 (6-10)

Communication with elected representatives seeking support for additional State funding to FirstLight in circumstances when the organisation was receiving a record number of referrals of families that had experienced the sudden loss of their child and required professional therapeutic bereavement supports.

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.

Gary Gannon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Neasa Hourigan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Mary Lou Mc Donald TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Paschal Donohoe Minister (Department of Finance)

Stephen Donnelly Minister (Department of Health)

Alan Kelly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Michael Lowry TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)