Federation of Early Childhood Providers (Federation of Early Childhood Providers)

Lobbying Organisation Federation of Early Childhood Providers

Date published 21 Sep, 2022

Relevant Matter Matters involving public funds

Public Policy Area Children and Youth Affairs

Period 1 May, 2022 to 31 Aug, 2022

Specific Details Submission for Budget 2023 on behalf of FECP

Intended results Increased funding for the Early Childhood sector and funding towards a study to improve diversity in the sector

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Elaine Dunne

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 We have entered "All Oireachtas Members" to be as inclusive as possible even though the communication may not have reached all Senators (all TDs were contacted)

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Email (2-5)

We sent 5 emails during the period addressing various aspects of core funding for early childhood provision, the case for funding a survey into diversity in the sector and the need to improve overall childcare funding and also the need to improve consultation with the sector.

Lobby day (2-5)

We held three protest meetings outside the Dáil - two of which also involved marching to the Department of Children headquarter buildings - and these included some of the TDs who had been invited by email.

Meeting (1)

We sent in a box of emails reflecting member concerns to the first seven individual TDs and Ministers listed in the response to section 5 below. This resulted in a bilateral meeting with Michael McGrath

Meeting (2-5)

We had three meetings with the Minister and two officials from the Department of Children - these are the last three DPOs listed in section 5 below - regarding funding issues. We sent between 20 and 30 emails to the Department on various aspects of childcare and childhood provision and also to seek the aforementioned meetings. These emails included data collected from our members from surveys on their views in relation to government policy and funding of our sector.

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 An Tánaiste (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Catherine Martin Minister (Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media)

Paschal Donohoe Minister (Department of Finance)

Michael McGrath Minister (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)

Neale Richmond TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Peadar Tóibín TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Joe Flaherty TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)

Roderic O'Gorman Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)

Anne Marie Brooks Assistant Secretary (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)

Kevin McCarthy Secretary General (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)