Irish Penal Reform Trust

Lobbying Organisation Irish Penal Reform Trust

Date published 20 Sep, 2021

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 May, 2021 to 31 Aug, 2021

Specific Details Covid-19 vaccine roll out in prisons

Intended results Accelerate prison vaccination roll-out so that Ireland meets its obligations and duties to people detained. Outline the importance of prison vaccination programme to the protection and promotion of wider public health. Emphasise importance of early vaccine roll-out to minimise harms to physical and mental health of ongoing restrictions. Advocate for the transfer of responsibility for prison healthcare to the national health service.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Fiona Ni Chinneide, Executive 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.

Letter (6-10)

Letter outlining Ireland's failure to meet its obligations under a number of rights instruments in terms of provision of equivalence of healthcare to men and women in prison, setting out the expert evidence that supports early roll-out of the national vaccine programme in prisons.

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.

Stephen Donnelly Minister (Department of Health)

Hildegarde Naughton Minister of State (Department of Justice)

Caron McCaffrey Director General (Irish Prison Service)

Colm Desmond Assistant Secretary (Department of Health)

Oonagh McPhillips Secretary General (Department of Justice)

Fergal Goodman Assistant Secretary (Department of Health)

Gerry O'Brien Director (Department of Health)