Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed

Lobbying Organisation Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed

Date published 02 Jan, 2025

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Social Protection

Period 1 Sep, 2024 to 31 Dec, 2024

Specific Details In December, as part of the Community and Voluntary Pillar, the INOU attended a bilateral meeting with the Department of Social Protection. The agenda included value of core social welfare rates since 2020; discussion on adequacy of payments and Budget decisions; updates on DSP work on benchmarking & means testing; discussion of key policies ending in 2025 – Roadmap for Social Inclusion & Pathways to Work; and Public Sector Duty.

Intended results To discuss with the Department of Social Protection key issues of concern for the INOU including the appropriate benchmarking of working age payments; inclusive budgetary processes; review of means testing; on-going changes to social welfare system; DSP incorporation of Public Sector Human Rights and Equality Duty.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Bríd O'Brien, INOU Director

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.

Meeting (1)

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.

Teresa Leonard Deputy Secretary (Department of Social Protection)

Fiona Ward Assistant Secretary (Department of Social Protection)

Niall Egan Assistant Secretary (Department of Social Protection)

Ciaran Lawler Assistant Secretary (Department of Social Protection)