Epilepsy Ireland

Lobbying Organisation Epilepsy Ireland

Date published 21 Jan, 2025

Relevant Matter Public policy or programme

Public Policy Area Health

Period 1 Sep, 2024 to 31 Dec, 2024

Specific Details Writing to Minister for Health and all TDs and Senators to raise awareness of SUDEP Action Day 2024 and providing details of a new Irish study on the prevalence of SUDEP in Ireland.

Intended results To raise awareness of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. Asked DPOs to share a message of support for SUDEP Action Day on their social media channels. Seeking support for Epilepsy Ireland's calls for the development of a national strategy to reduce epilepsy-related deaths in Ireland

Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity Paddy McGeoghegan

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 Emailed all Oireachtas members in the lead-up to and on SUDEP Action Day to provide details on SUDEP Action Day, the study and our calls for a national Strategy to reduce epilepsy-related deaths.

Lobbying activity

The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.

Letter (1)

Wrote to Minister for Health providing detailed information on study and seeking a meeting to discuss study's findings.

Email (2-5)

Contacted Minister Carroll MacNeill to see if she would sponsor the hosting of a Dáil briefing on this study around epilepsy-related deaths.

Email (2-5)

Emailed Senators O'Loughlin, Wall & Byrne to thank them for raising SUDEP and SUDEP Action Day during Seanad Business and seeking a meeting to follow up on same.

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)

Fiona O'Loughlin Senator (Seanad)

Mark Wall Senator (Seanad)

Maria Byrne Senator (Seanad)