Disability Federation of Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Disability Federation of Ireland

Date published 21 Sep, 2018

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Community

Period 1 May, 2018 to 31 Aug, 2018

Specific Details Request for support for the Make Way Day Campaign

Intended results Establishment of an official annual National and locally based Make Way Day - where awareness is raised about how obstacles on footpaths can obstruct people with disabilities.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Laura English, Aoife Delaney, Clare Cronin, Aine O'Sullivan, Cathy McGrath and John Dolan on behalf of DFI. DFI are orchestrating the campaign in association with: Enable, NCBI, IWA, Rehab Group

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?) Yes

Current or Former Designated Public Official(s)

John Dolan (Currently employed as a DPO) Senator (Seanad)

Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign? Yes

What is the directive you gave to the grassroots campaigners? Website www.makewayday.com encourages people to: • Contact your local coordinator to get involved. • Take pictures of obstacles you encounter on footpaths and post your pictures to social media. Include #MakeWayDay or #MakeWayDayYOURCOUNTYNAME and tag “makewayday “disabilityfed in your post • Share and retweet other people’s social media posts and encourage friends and family to do so. • Contact your local Councillors asking them to support Make Way Day 2019, optional to include reference to the councillor motion. • Set up a local working group and let DFI know so we can support.

Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client? No

Mass communications

Email All Councillors Emails seeking them to pass a motion achieve the intended results. Asking them also to 'write to An Taoiseach, all Ministers and Ministers of State calling them to support, establish, fund and resource an annual national Make Way Day'. Sent to all Councillors in: Tipperary, Laois, Offaly, Longford, Westmeath, Meath, Kilkenny, Carlow, Waterford, Wexford, Monaghan, Cavan, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Donegal, Kerry.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Letter (1)

1 Letter was sent to President Michael D Higgins asking him to support Make Way Day and meet a delegation of people with disabilities on that day.

Email (2-5)

Targetted emails folllowing up on mass communication to DPOs: Mayor Patrick Murphy Mayor Norma Foley Councillor Tom Murphy Councillor Richie Molloy

Meeting (1)

Discussed as part of a wider meeting with Galway City Mayor. DPO: Mayor and Councillor Niall McNeilis.

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 Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)

Niall McNelis Councillor (Galway City Council)

Patrick Murphy Councillor (Cork County Council)

Norma Foley Councillor (Kerry County Council)

Tom Murphy Councillor (Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council)

Richie Molloy Councillor (Tipperary County Council)