Start Strong Limited

Lobbying Organisation Start Strong Limited

Date published 20 May, 2016

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Children and Youth Affairs

Period 1 Jan, 2016 to 30 Apr, 2016

Specific Details Pre-election invitations and event on how to achieve quality, accessible, affordable childcare, invitations to speak and attendance at event

Intended results Quality accessible affordable childcare in election manifestoes

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Ciairín de Buis, CEO, Start Strong

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

Mass communications

Email All Oireachtas Members January 2016 - Invitation to attend Campaign launch event on 21st January to make quality, accessible affordable childcare a general election issue

Letter All Oireachtas Members Letter and leaflet to all GE candidates to make quality, accessible affordable childcare a general election issue

Social Media All TDs Email and Tweet all GE candidates to make quality, accessible affordable childcare a general election issue and sign a "Promise to Children"

Email All TDs Email and letter to all new TDs to make quality, accessible affordable childcare a Programme for Government issue

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Event / Reception (1)

Buswells Hotel, 20 January 2016, launch of Campaign to have quality accessible affordable childcare on election manifestos and as an election issue

Meeting (1)

Meeting with Neil Ward in January 2016 about education-focussed early years inspections

Event / Reception (1)

Ciairín de Buis attend Social Democrats election manifesto launch in February 2016 to talk about quality, accessible affordable childcare

Email (2-5)

Emails to TD to make quality childcare an issue in Programme for Government negotiations

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.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin Minister of State (Department of Justice and Equality)

Camille Loftus Special Advisor (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)

Robert Troy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Sandra McLellan TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Brid Smith Councillor (Dublin City Council)

Róisín Shortall TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Simon Harris Minister of State (Department of Finance)

Catherine Byrne TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Neil Ward Special Advisor (Department of Education and Skills)

Katherine Zappone Minister (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)

Michael Healy-Rae TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Frances Fitzgerald Minister of State (Department of Justice and Equality)

Leo Varadkar Minister (Department of Health)

Simon Coveney Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)

Stephen Donnelly TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Catherine Murphy TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)