Chime

Lobbying Organisation Chime

Date published 19 Jan, 2016

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 Sep, 2015 to 31 Dec, 2015

Specific Details Residential and supported accommodation services for Deaf adults

Intended results Vulnerable Deaf adults who are sign language users and who require a residential care placement are presently placed in services for hearing people with no communication, or in some cases, are placed outside the State. DeafHear is seeking a change in policy that involves clustering vulnerable Deaf people who need a care placement together in small groups and providing supports and services to them through sign language.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Brendan Lennon, Head of Advocacy

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.

Submission (2-5)

Submissions and correspondence included details of the numbers of people inappropriately placed in residential care placements with no communication (30+) and placed outside the State (5). It also included proposals to address the issue appropriately in accordance with best practice, and information stating that there are double the numbers of Deaf people in care in Ireland compared to other countries because the services are not suitable to meet their needs, i.e. they have no access to communication, and so are unlikely to be supported to return back to living independently in the community. Submissions given to Minister for Health Leo Varadkar in September 2015, and Minister of State Kathleen Lynch earlier in the year.

Meeting (2-5)

Meeting with Minister of State Kathleen Lynch on Dec 9th 2015 to discuss the issue of the residential needs of vulnerable Deaf people and the progress to date of a HSE Working Group examining the matter and due to report in Q4 2015.

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.

Leo Varadkar Minister (Department of Health)

Kathleen Lynch Minister of State (Department of Health)