Overwatch Report

Hanover Media Strategy Limited

on behalf of Yes (client not named)

September–December

[Transport] The taxi supply shortage in rural Ireland.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Conor Gouldsbury (Former DPO)', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Foreign Affairs)'} {'name': 'Jerry Buttimer', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Rural and Community Development)'}

Sabrina Joyce-Kemper

September–December

[Environment] Informed TD about issues related to Water Quality in Dublin Bay, Swim Warnings, the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study, the Fehily Report and the possiblity of further deterioration from the Greater Dublin Drainage Project. We also discussed INTEL discharges to sewer and potential toxic PFAS contamination from Semi Conducter manufacturers such as the INTEL Plant.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Barry Heneghan', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Cootehill Chamber of Commerce

September–December

[Education and Training] Combined engagement including an in-person meeting on 6 October 2025 at the Courthouse, Cootehill and follow-up written submissions in November 2025 between Cootehill Chamber of Commerce and Minister of State Niamh Smyth TD. Training-related issues raised included access to National Training Fund supports for retailers, upskilling of SME staff, digital and ecommerce training needs, and simplified access to IT and skills supports for rural businesses.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Niamh Smyth', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'}

Cootehill Chamber of Commerce

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Combined engagement including an in-person meeting on 6 October 2025 at the Courthouse, Cootehill and follow-up written submissions in November 2025 between Cootehill Chamber of Commerce and Minister of State Niamh Smyth TD. Justice-related issues raised included rising retail crime, safety concerns for retail workers, support for the Protection of Retail Workers Act, engagement with the Retail Crime Forum, and the need to address vexatious legal claims impacting staff and

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Niamh Smyth', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'}

Cootehill Chamber of Commerce

September–December

[Employment] Combined engagement including an in-person meeting on 6 October 2025 at the Courthouse, Cootehill and follow-up written submissions in November 2025 between Cootehill Chamber of Commerce and Minister of State Niamh Smyth TD. Employment-related issues raised included statutory sick pay policy, rising labour costs for SMEs, minimum wage pressures on rural businesses, labour shortages, and workforce availability challenges linked to housing and transport constraints.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Niamh Smyth', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'}

Cootehill Chamber of Commerce

September–December

[Energy and Natural Resources] Combined engagement including an in-person meeting on 6 October 2025 at the Courthouse, Cootehill and follow-up written submissions in November 2025 between Cootehill Chamber of Commerce and Minister of State Niamh Smyth TD. Energy-related issues raised included rising business energy costs, electricity grid reliability, power outages affecting SMEs, and proposals for enhanced SEAI grant support for insulation, solar PV and renewable heating upgrades for commercial

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Niamh Smyth', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'}

Cootehill Chamber of Commerce

September–December

[Budgetary matters] Combined engagement including an in-person meeting on 6 October 2025 at the Courthouse, Cootehill and follow-up written submissions in November 2025 between Cootehill Chamber of Commerce and Minister of State Niamh Smyth TD. The engagement included representations on Budget 2026 priorities for rural SMEs and retailers covering business costs, training supports, energy grant funding, infrastructure investment needs and measures to strengthen local economic competitiveness.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Niamh Smyth', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'}

Sabrina Joyce-Kemper

September–December

[Environment] During information night on the Poodle River and River catchments of which I was a member of the panel, I spoke to The Councillor about Stormwater overflows, misconnections and failures to have Drainage Area Plans for catchments in place. Inform of requirements of Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and Water Framework Directive.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Donna Cooney', 'role': 'Councillor (Dublin City Council)'}

Cootehill Chamber of Commerce

September–December

[Economic Development and Industry] Combined engagement including an in-person meeting on 6 October 2025 at the Courthouse, Cootehill and follow-up written submissions in November 2025 between Cootehill Chamber of Commerce and Minister of State Niamh Smyth TD. Issues raised included SME and retail business costs, statutory sick pay policy, retail crime and staff protection, access to training funding, reform of the Small Benefit Exemption Scheme, business energy upgrade grants, and rural infrast

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Niamh Smyth', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'}

Janssen Sciences Ireland UC

September–December

[Trade] Engagement with officials in Department of the Taoiseach

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Liam Cullen (Former DPO)', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)'} {'name': 'John Shaw', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Kieran McQuinn', 'role': 'Economic Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)'}

Sabrina Joyce-Kemper

September–December

[Environment] Provided info on the size of the Greater Dublin Drainage outfall pipe.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Joan Hopkins', 'role': 'Councillor (Fingal County Council)'}

Janssen Sciences Ireland UC

September–December

[Economic Development and Industry] Engagement with Minister Hildegarde Naughton

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Liam Cullen (Former DPO)', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)'} {'name': 'Hildegarde Naughton', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Education)'}

Irish Hospital Consultants Association

September–December

[Health] Engagement on the delivery of public health services

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Robert Watt', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Health)'}

Sabrina Joyce-Kemper

September–December

[Environment] Update on progress of Greater Dublin Drainage project at planning stage and Waste Water Discharge licence stage including links to my submission on pleanala.ie and the EPA licence page. Highlighted community and local tourism business concerns that neither Uisce Eireann, IAA or daa had carried out an Aeronautical safety assessment on the gas storage facility within the public safety zone flight path into the South Runway in Dublin Airport.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'David Healy', 'role': 'Councillor (Fingal County Council)'} {'name': 'Joan Hopkins', 'role': 'Councillor (Fingal County Council)'}

Archdiocese of Dublin

September–December

[Economic Development and Industry] Engaged with Councillor Jim Gildea regarding the Bus connects infrastructure project with the NTA.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Jim Gildea', 'role': 'Councillor (Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council)'}

Janssen Sciences Ireland UC

September–December

[Economic Development and Industry] Engagement with the Taoiseach

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Sage Advocacy

May–August

[Health] Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Acts (2015 legislation)

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Oonagh McPhillips', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Justice)'}

Sage Advocacy

September–December

[Finance] Sage Advocacy collaboration with the Central Bank of Irealnd

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Colm Kincaid', 'role': 'Director (Central Bank of Ireland)'}

Janssen Sciences Ireland UC

September–December

[Economic Development and Industry] Engagement with the Tánaiste

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)'}

Vantage Data Centers DUB11 Limited

September–December

[Economic Development and Industry] Met at Leinster House

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Shane Moynihan', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Janssen Sciences Ireland UC

September–December

[Health] Engagement with the Department of Health on the Life Sciences Strategy

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Muiris O’Connor', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Health)'}

ESB

September–December

[Housing] Engagement setting out a series of proposals that would support ESB Networks infrastructure delivery and enable timely grid capacity needed. These measures include planning exemptions for minor electricity infrastructure upgrades, uprates and replacements, a more efficient and consistent approach to small scale energy projects at local authority level and examining targeted amendments to the Planning and Development Regulations.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'John McDonald', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)'} {'name': 'Graham Doyle', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)'}

Insight Investment Management (Europe) Limited

September–December

[Foreign Affairs] Insight provided an overview of global asset management trends and their implications for Ireland’s financial services sector at the Government Trade Forum on 3 November 2025. The engagement was informational only and aimed at supporting officials’ understanding of industry developments.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)'} {'name': 'Peter Burke', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'} {'name': 'Martin Heydon', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': 'Paschal Donohoe', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Finance)'} {'name': 'James Lawless', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science)'} {'name': 'Jack Chambers', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)'}

Transparency International Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Funding sought from the Department of Justice for continued support for justice agencies in respect of the management of protected disclosures.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Jim O'Callaghan", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'}

Vantage Data Centers DUB11 Limited

September–December

[Economic Development and Industry] In person meeting at the minister's office.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Jackie Gallagher (Former DPO)', 'role': 'Special Advisor to the Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': "Darragh O'Brien", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment)'}

ESB

September–December

[Energy and Natural Resources] Engagement continues with Principal Officers in the Departments of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and Climate, Energy and the Environment on proposed amendments to Section 98 of the Electricity Supply Act to support the safe and resilient management of forestry corridors around electricity overhead lines. Support from TDs is being sought to advance the required legislative changes

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Barry Delaney', 'role': 'Director (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)'} {'name': 'Paul Bolger', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment)'} {'name': "Pádraig O'Sullivan", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': "Peter 'Chap' Cleere", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Aindrias Moynihan', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': "Ryan O'Meara", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 15 more

Inclusion Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] We wrote to Minister Higgins to request an introductory briefing with her and her team in the new year on Inclusion Ireland’s broader work, our engagement with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality thus far, and our shared priorities.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Emer Higgins', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists

September–December

[Education and Training] IASLT wrote to highlight concerns in relation to: Circular 0024/2025 on Special Classes for Children with DLD or Speech Sound Disorder (SSD). Concerns relate to the implementability of the Circular, Capacity Concerns, NEPS Access and absence of guidance/ lack of clarity around comorbid conditions and diagnostic criteria, including about the diagnosis of speech sound disorders separate from Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)..

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Bernie McNally', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Education)'}

Avolon

September–December

[Finance] Email on potential engagement in relation to development of the new Ireland for Finance Strategy.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Brian Corr', 'role': 'Senior Adviser - Strategy and Risk (Department of Finance)'}

The Westport Chamber

September–December

[Trade] To Lobby for the reduction of crippling commercial rates, driving businesses out of town centers; and rising energy and wage bills,

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Peter Burke', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment)'} {'name': 'Michael Burke', 'role': 'Councillor (Mayo County Council)'} {'name': 'Peter Flynn', 'role': 'Councillor (Mayo County Council)'} {'name': 'Kiera Keogh', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Emer Higgins', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)'}

Lobbying Tracker

Most Lobbied TDs