National Adult Literacy Agency

Lobbying Organisation National Adult Literacy Agency

Date published 17 Jan, 2025

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Education and Training

Period 1 Sep, 2024 to 31 Dec, 2024

Specific Details General Election Manifestos: We recommended a plain language requirement for the public service; use of the National Training Fund at Levels 1-4 on the NFQ; resourcing of existing strategies including Adult Literacy for Life; adopting DigComp; developing an ESOL strategy; and appointing a Minister of State for Lifelong Learning

Intended results For the political parties to include one or more of our recommendations in their general election manifestos.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Colleen Dube

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 (2-5)

One meeting with each party to discuss NALA's manifesto asks: Green Party (Senator Pauline O'Reilly) 4 September, Leinster House; Sinn Féin (Mairéad Farrell TD) 22 October, Leinster House

Email (2-5)

We emailed the people we had met under Targeted Activity 1 with further information they requested at the meeting. We sent Senator Reilly briefing docs on National Training Fund and DigComp, plus an overview of Learn with NALA and an indicative list of adult literacy courses available nationally. We sent Deputy Farrell & Mr Doyle the two briefing docs, plus information on the Plain English Bill 2019, DALC's voter education resources and 2022 PISA stats.

Email (6-10)

We sent our full manifesto "Our general election asks for adult literacy" by email to 6 parties. Labour, Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Green Party, Sinn Féin & Social Democrats

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.

Annie Hoey Senator (Seanad)

Mairéad Farrell TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Pauline O'Reilly Senator (Seanad)

Gary Gannon TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)