Overwatch Report

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Funding for voluntary sector organisations working with children and families in the area of family support

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Kevin McCarthy', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Lara Hynes', 'role': 'Acting Assistant Secretary (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Supports for families facing disadvantage

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'Emailed all TDs with our 4th annual cost of living report highlighting the essential items children and parents are having to cut back on or go without and the impact this is having on them.'} {'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'Emailed all TDs with our back to school report 2025, outlining existing financial pressures some parents still face when preparing to send their child back to school'} {'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'Sent out a briefing on the lived experiences of families we support across our services who live in emergency accommodation or poor quality and overcrowded accommodation and the negative impact it has on their childhoods.'} {'name': 'Norma Foley', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Kevin McCarthy', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Kate Duggan', 'role': 'Chief Executive Officer (Child and Family Agency (Tusla))'} + 17 more

Barnardos

September–December

[Children and Youth Affairs] Increased parental support to vulnerable families

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Contacted all Oireachtas members about our pre-budget submission in advance of Budget 2026.'} {'name': 'Kate Duggan', 'role': 'Chief Executive Officer (Child and Family Agency (Tusla))'} {'name': 'Kiera Keogh', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Food poverty and parental mental health

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Sent report on parental mental health to all member of the oireachtas outlining the impact poor mental health has on parenting skills and children.'} {'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Sent report on food insecurity amongst families in Ireland, highlighting the amount of parents struggling to provide their families with sufficient food.'} {'name': 'Chris Andrews', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Cost of living issues and back to school costs

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Emailed all Oireachtas members report on cost of living and back to school costs report'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'}

Barnardos

September–December

[Children and Youth Affairs] Budget 2025 and Part Manifestos

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Emailed all members of the oireachtas with a copy of what we believed should be included in a new programme for government, prioritising issues such as the need to address child poverty and increase wellbeing supports to parents and their children.'} {'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'Send a summarised copy of our pre-budget submission to all TDs just before Budget 2025.'} {'name': 'Andrew Munro', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Justice)'} {'name': "James O'Connor", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Stephen Donnelly', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Highlighting the issue of food poverty and families and the development of the new child poverty and wellbeing unit

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Emailed food poverty report to all TDs and senators.'} {'name': 'Elizabeth Canavan', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Children living in disadvantage

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': ''} {'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': ''} {'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': ''} {'name': 'Kevin McCarthy', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Elizabeth Canavan', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Lara Hynes', 'role': 'Acting Assistant Secretary (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Barnardos

September–December

[Children and Youth Affairs] Improving supports for families facing disadvantage

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Emailed all members of the oireachtas in relation to budget 2024 and the need for targeted supports for low income families'} {'name': "Roderic O'Gorman", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Helen McEntee', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'James Browne', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Justice)'}

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Food poverty among families

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': ''} {'name': "Joe O'Brien", 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Rural and Community Development)'} {'name': "Roderic O'Gorman", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Budget 2023

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'Our pre-budget submission was circulated to all TDs'} {'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'An email was circulated to all TDs to inform them of the impact the current cost of living crisis was having on children across the country'}

Barnardos

September–December

[Children and Youth Affairs] Family support awareness

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Roderic O'Gorman", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Claire Kerrane', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Róisín Shorthall', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Paul McAuliffe', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Caroline Conroy', 'role': 'Councillor (Dublin City Council)'}

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Highlighting the needs of vulnerable children and parents in Ireland. Presenting the work of Barnardos and stressing the need for adequate statutory funding.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Paul McAuliffe', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Keith Connolly', 'role': 'Councillor (Dublin City Council)'} {'name': 'Caroline Conroy', 'role': 'Councillor (Dublin City Council)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Back to school costs

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': ''} {'name': "Roderic O'Gorman", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Norma Foley', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Paul McAuliffe', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Barnardos

September–December

[Children and Youth Affairs] Family support

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Roderic O'Gorman", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Paul McAuliffe', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Mark Ward', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'John Lahart', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Marc Ó Cathasaigh', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Barnardos

January–April

[Health] Provided information to the Minister of Health regarding the provision of services by Barnardos to adopted adults and birth mothers.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Health)'}

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Sought meeting with Children's spokespeople.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Alan Farrell', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Kathleen Funchion', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Anne Rabbitte', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Seán Sherlock', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Emailed TDs informing them of general election manifesto and asking for their support.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Health)'} {'name': 'Joe McHugh', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Education and Skills)'} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Mary Lou McDonald', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Catherine Murphy', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 6 more

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Wrote to the Department of Expenditure and Public Reform and the Department of Finance in relation to the Covid19 business subsidy.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Katherine Zappone', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)'} {'name': 'Fergal Lynch', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)'} {'name': 'Derek Moran', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Finance)'} {'name': 'John Hogan', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Finance)'} {'name': 'Robert Watt', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)'} {'name': 'David Moloney', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)'} + 1 more

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Letter sent to party leaders on policy recommendations in advance of Government formation.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Mary Lou McDonald', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Róisín Shorthall', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Catherine Murphy', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Brendan Howlin', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 3 more

Barnardos

January–April

[Children and Youth Affairs] Letter to all TDs outlining Barnardos' response to Covid19 and need for funding.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Letter All TDs', 'role': "The focus of the letter was on the changes to Barnardos' work with children and families in light of the Covid19 pandemic and the services available. Briefly at the end of the letter we outlined the impact the pandemic restrictions are having on fundraising and requested to be considered if additional funding became available."}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Barnardos sent various communications outlining our position on the proposed closure of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs seeking to influence TDs to retain the Department in the make up of the next Dáil.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': ''} {'name': 'Eamon Ryan', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Barnardos was signatory to a letter on the importance of Sláintecase to the next Programme for Government.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Eamon Ryan', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Mary Lou McDonald', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Catherine Murphy', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Róisín Shorthall', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 2 more

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Barnardos contacted the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to Barnardos' funding

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Robert Watt', 'role': 'Secretary General (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Barnardos shared information with TDs about our services with a view to extending their reach and availability

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'Email forwarded to all TDs with a list of services available to families to help them cope through the Covid-19 pandemic.'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Meeting with Kathleen Funchion Sinn Féin spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Kathleen Funchion', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Email sent to all TDs with recommendations for the draft Programme for Government

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'Email and document forwarded to all TDs'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Discussion on Barnardos' funding under Service Level Agreements from Tusla

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Conor Rowley', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Children and Youth Affairs)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Meeting with Labour Party Spokesperson on Children and Youth Affairs

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Seán Sherlock', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Barnardos

May–August

[Children and Youth Affairs] Barnardos was signatory on a letter from the Parenting Network to Government party leaders

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'An Tánaiste (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Eamon Ryan', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport)'}

Lobbying Tracker

Most Lobbied TDs