Overwatch Report

Uplift

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Lobbying Ministers to take steps to protect asylum seekers.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)'} {'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'}

Uplift

September–December

[Foreign Affairs] Lobbying government ministers to support Ireland’s neutrality and the retention of the Triple Lock.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': '583 Uplift members emailed Fianna Fáil TDs and Senators calling on their party to drop its support for the Defence Amendment Act 2025 which would remove the Triple Lock.'} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)'}

Uplift

September–December

[Trade] Lobbying TD not to support the government's Arbitration Act which would open the door for ratification of CETA and other ISDS trade deals.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': '955 people sent emails to TDs.'}

Uplift

September–December

[Communications] Asking TDs to attend a briefing at Leinster House where they will hear from a panel about the harms caused by algorithms on social media platforms.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': '550 people sent emails to TDs'}

Uplift

September–December

[Energy and Natural Resources] Lobbying Minister O'Brien to ask energy companies not to increase energy prices this winter

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Darragh O'Brien", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment)'}

Uplift

January–April

[Trade] Uplift members were asked to send an email to Irish MEPs asking them to vote against a report urging Ireland to join Ceta

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All MEPs', 'role': '211 emails were sent'} {'name': 'Sean Kelly', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Barry Andrews', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Billy Kelleher', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Brian Hayes', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Chris MacManus', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} + 10 more

Uplift

January–April

[EU Affairs] DPOs were emailed asking them to vote for the final text of the Nature Restoration Law as it stands

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All MEPs', 'role': '1013 emails were sent to all Irish MEPs'}

Uplift

January–April

[Health] TDs were asked to push for proper and fair healthcare policies for transgender patients.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': '10 emails were sent to TDs'}

Uplift

January–April

[Health] TDs were asked to vote to pass the Cannabis Decriminalisation Bill

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': '1429 emails were sent'}

Uplift

January–April

[Marine] DPOs were contacted via TikTok asking that the Irish government does everything it can to ensure the Freedom Flotilla carrying aid to Gaza is given an Irish flag to sail under.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Eamon Ryan', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Transport)'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Paul Murphy', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Uplift

January–April

[Foreign Affairs] DPOs were Tweeted asking them to support the idea of a city twinning agreement between Cork and Gaza as a mark of solidarity with Palestinian people

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Paul Murphy', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Clare Daly', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'}

Uplift

January–April

[Health] Tweeted DPOs asking them to allow safe access to healthcare facilities for people seeking abortion.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Stephen Donnelly', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Health)'}

Uplift

January–April

[Foreign Affairs] Emails were sent to Simon Harris asking the government to formally recognise the State of Palestine.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'}

Uplift

January–April

[Foreign Affairs] All TDs were emailed and called asking them to vote for Ireland to join South Africa the International Criminal Court case against Israel.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': '13885 emails were sent to TDs'} {'name': 'Phone call All TDs', 'role': 'and 133 phone calls made to TDs'}

Uplift

January–April

[Development and Zoning] DPOs were emailed asking that that Dublin City Council vote against the re-zoning ad selling of Tolka Park in Dublin

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Councillors', 'role': '2115 emails were sent to Dublin City Councillors'}

Uplift

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] TDs were emailed asking that they support the Children and Family Relationships (Amendment) Bill

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': '2174 emails were sent to all TDs'}

Uplift

January–April

[Foreign Affairs] DPOs were emailed asking them to stop the Irish government from blocking the Occupied Territories Bill.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)'} {'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'}

Uplift

January–April

[Local Government] Emails were sent to Cork County Councillors asking them to support the Boycott, Divest and Sanction Campaign motion

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Councillors', 'role': '27242 emails were sent to Cork County Councillors.'}

Uplift

May–August

[Public Expenditure and Reform] Emails were sent to the members of the Oireachtas Committee for Social Protection asking for assurance that Ireland's auto-enrollment pension scheme will never invest in fossil fuels and arms companies.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Denis Naughten', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Marc Ó Cathasaigh', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Jackie Cahill', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Joe Carey', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Joan Collins', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Paul Donnelly', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 7 more

Uplift

May–August

[Housing] DPOs were sent Uplift's research on vacancy and dereliction and asked that they would read it and consider it in the context of their work at housing spokespersons.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Social Media All Councillors', 'role': 'Social media post asking local election candidates to sign the pledge that they will work to turn empty houses into liveable homes in their areas.'} {'name': 'Email All Councillors', 'role': '6673 emails were sent to councillors by 728 Uplift members.'} {'name': 'Eoin Ó Broin', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Mary Lou McDonald', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Catherine Connolly', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Holly Cairns', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 4 more

Uplift

May–August

[Foreign Affairs] Ministers were emailed asking that Ireland acts immediately to pressure Israel from rejecting ceasefire negoations and continuing to attack Rafah in Gaza. The Minister for Sate at the Department of Transport was asked that he would support a request to let the Freedom Flotilla be given a flag to sail under in order to deliver aid to Gaza.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Social Media All TDs', 'role': '1 Social Media video calling on the Irish Government to end drone supply contracts with Israeli Military contractors.'} {'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'Asking that the Irish Government end the trade in dual-use goods with Israel and payments to Israeli Military companies'} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)'} {'name': 'Dara Calleary', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'} {'name': 'Peter Burke', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Foreign Affairs)'} {'name': 'Jack Chambers', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media)'} + 2 more

Uplift

May–August

[Housing] DPOs were emailed asking them to intervene to prevent the eviction of Ferry Ediagbonya and his wife and five children from a direct provision centre in Meath.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Roderic O'Gorman", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Helen McEntee', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice and Equality)'} {'name': "Darren O'Rourke", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Thomas Byrne', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of the Taoiseach)'}

Uplift

May–August

[Agriculture] A social media post asking the Minister of Agriculture Food and the Marine to close down the horse abattoir operated by Shannonside Foods in Straffan, Co. Kildare.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Charlie McConalogue', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'}

Uplift

May–August

[Health] Asking the government to reject plans to send people found in possession of Cannabis for medical intervention

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Social Media All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Calling on the government to reject plans to send people found in possession of Cannabis to be sent to a medical intervention.'}

Uplift

May–August

[Communications] Ask the government to force social media companies to turn off Recommender System algorithms by default.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Stephen Donnelly', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Health)'}

Uplift

May–August

[Development and Zoning] Councillors in Dublin City Council were emailed asking that they oppose the sale and rezoning of Tolka Park and that it remains a sports park for use by the local community.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Councillors', 'role': '561 emails were sent by Uplift members to councillors in Dublin City Council.'}

Uplift

May–August

[Environment] Relating to a campaign to stop any Liquefied Natural Gas terminals from being built.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Social Media All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Social media post asking members of the government to vote against the creation of more LNG terminals in Ireland and a halt to the importation of LNG from the USA.'}

Uplift

May–August

[Environment] Regarding confirmation of Ireland's plans to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Eamon Ryan', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Environment, Climate and Communications)'}

Uplift

May–August

[Health] Access to IVF treatment for people with HIV

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Stephen Donnelly', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Health)'}

Uplift

May–August

[Foreign Affairs] Campaign to get TDs to speak up in the Dáil for a fair, humane immigration process that respects people and their families.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': '2241 emails were sent by individual Uplift members to their local TDs.'} {'name': 'Social Media All TDs', 'role': '1 social media post asking that TDs speak up for fair immigration processes in Europe.'}

Lobbying Tracker

Most Lobbied TDs