Irish Penal Reform Trust

Lobbying Organisation Irish Penal Reform Trust

Date published 20 Jan, 2023

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Justice and Equality

Period 1 Sep, 2022 to 31 Dec, 2022

Specific Details Attendance at British Ambassador's Residence to Discuss Remand with Members of UK Justice Committee

Intended results To exchange knowledge and share IPRT views on remand with attendees at this event, which included UK MPs and Irish DPOs.

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Saoirse Brady, Executive Director, and Molly Joyce, Legal & Public Affairs Manager

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 (1)

IPRT's Executive Director and Legal & Public Affairs Manager attended an event (following invitation) at the British Ambassador's residence to meet with members of the UK Justice Committee as part of a fact-finding trip they were conducting in regards the issue of remand / pre-trial detention. At this event, at which two DPOs were present, IPRT shared our concerns regarding the use of pre-trial detention in Ireland and suggestions on how the numbers on remand could be reduced.

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.

Fergal Black Director of Services or Equivalent (Irish Prison Service)

James Lawless TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)