Overwatch Report

Disability Federation of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Oireachtas Disability Group, ODG, disability priorities for the new Programme for Government

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Letter All TDs', 'role': "1 Letter sent via email on 05/02/25 to all TDs regarding the ODG's disability priorities for the new Programme for Government."} {'name': 'Norma Foley', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Hildegarde Naughton', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Health)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

January–April

[Local Government] Implementation of the UN CRPD at local level

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Councillors', 'role': 'Mass mailout sent on 04/03/25 to all Councillors - calling for all Local Authorities to put forward and pass a motion calling for action on disability inclusion at Local Authority level in line with Article 4 of the UN CRPD.'} {'name': 'Email All Local Authority Members', 'role': 'Mass mailout sent on 04/03/25 to all Chief Executives of Local Authorities - calling for all Local Authorities to pass a motion calling for action on disability inclusion at Local Authority level in line with Article 4 of the UN CRPD.'} {'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Mass mailout sent on 04/03/25 to all Political Party Disability Spokespersons - calling for all Local Authorities to pass a motion calling for action on disability inclusion at Local Authority level in line with Article 4 of the UN CRPD.'} {'name': 'James Browne', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)'} {'name': 'Norma Foley', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Hildegarde Naughton', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Health)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

January–April

[Health] HSE Restructuring - Health Regions and REOs

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Tony Canavan', 'role': 'Regional Executive Officer (Health Service Executive)'} {'name': 'Dr Andy Phillips', 'role': 'Regional Executive Officer (Health Service Executive)'} {'name': 'Sandra Broderick', 'role': 'Regional Executive Officer (Health Service Executive)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Appointment of civil society candidate, chosen by Nominating Bodies of the Seanad Administrative Panel, to the upper House of the Oireachtas by An Taoiseach

Public Officials Lobbied

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

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] DFI Pre-Budget Submission 2026

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Emails sent on 15/07/25 to all members of the Oireachtas Committees on: \n- Disability Matters\n- Children and Equality\n- Education and Youth\n- Health\n\nEmails sent on 16/07/25 to: \n- Members of the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage\n- Disability Spokespersons\n- Remaining members of the Dáil \n- Remaining members of the Seanad'} {'name': 'Email All Councillors', 'role': "Email sent to all Councillors on 28/07/25, with link to DFI's Pre-Budget Submission (summary and long version). \n\nHighlighting key asks: \n- Strengthen and resource the Access Officer role.\n- Create and fund a new standardised disability inclusion programme.\n- Provide funding for Disability Friendly Housing Technical Advisor position to be dedicated, standalone roles. \n- Support meaningful engagement with people with disabilities and Disabled Person Organisations in local structures."} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'Tánaiste and Minister (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Jennifer Carroll MacNeill', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Health)'} {'name': 'Norma Foley', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} + 16 more

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Local Government] Implementation of the UN CRPD at local level

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Adrienne Wallace', 'role': 'Councillor (Carlow County Council)'} {'name': 'Hildegarde Naughton', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] Letter to editor (Irish Times) regarding under 65s in nursing homes

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'Tánaiste and Minister (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Norma Foley', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Jennifer Carroll MacNeill', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Health)'} {'name': 'James Browne', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage)'} {'name': 'Hildegarde Naughton', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] UN COSP Roundtable

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Hildegarde Naughton', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Colm Ó Conaill', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Budgetary matters] Coalition for Public Services meeting with Minister Jack Chambers

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Jack Chambers', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Budgetary matters] ODG Pre-Budget Submission 2026

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All TDs', 'role': 'Mass mailout sent to all TDs on 24/06/2025 sharing the ODG Pre-Budget Submission 2026 and inviting them to schedule a call with a delegation of ODG members to discuss key issues.'} {'name': 'Email All Senators', 'role': 'Mass mailout sent to all Senators on 24/06/2025 sharing the ODG Pre-Budget Submission 2026 and inviting them to schedule a call with a delegation of ODG members to discuss key issues.'} {'name': 'Richard Boyd Barrett', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Hildegarde Naughton', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Micheál Carrigy', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Cathal Crowe', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 8 more

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Budgetary matters] DFI Budget 2026 Priorities

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': '1 Mass mailout sent on 24/09/25 to all Fianna Fáil elected representatives calling for the Disability Support Grant to be maintained in Budget 2026.'} {'name': 'Dara Calleary', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Social Protection)'} {'name': 'Ruairí Ó Murchú', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Thomas Gould', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Mark Wall', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Budgetary matters] ODG Budget 2026 Priorities

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': '1 Mass mailout sent to all Oireachtas Members on 17/10/25 - ODG Memo on Budget 2026 and the Cost of Disability.'} {'name': 'Cathal Crowe', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Teresa Costello', 'role': 'Senator (Seanad)'} {'name': 'Paul McAuliffe', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Martin Daly', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Seamus McGrath', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 4 more

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Budgetary matters] Emergency Winter Payment Campaign

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': "1 Mass mailout sent to all Oireachtas Members on 18/12/25 calling for an Emergency Winter Payment for people with disabilities to bridge the income gap following the loss of once-off payments in Budget 2026.\n\nCo-signed by: \nJoan Carthy (IWA)\nBernard Mulvany (Access for All)\nJoe Condon (Early Onset Parkinson's Disease\nIreland)\nChrist White (Vision Ireland)\nFinbarr Murray (Rehab Group)\nDerval McDonagh (Inclusion Ireland)\nTriona O'Hanlon (Huntington's Disease\nAssociation of Ireland)"}

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[EU Affairs] Ireland's Presidency of the EU Council 2026

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Helen McEntee', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Home Care and Personal Assistant Services

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Norma Foley', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Election engagement meetings - Meetings with political party representatives to discuss DFI's EU and/or Local election manifestos and asks

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Charlotte Simpson', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Foreign Affairs)'} {'name': 'Eoin Wilson', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Niamh Allen', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Transport)'} {'name': 'Noel Byrne', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Barry Andrews', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

January–April

[Health] Meeting with Colm O'Connail on HSE Health Regions

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Colm Ó Conaill', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

January–April

[Budgetary matters] Transparency of Disability Budget Announcements

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Ged Nash', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Bernard Durkan', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Colm Brophy', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

January–April

[Justice and Equality] Oversight of the new National Disability Strategy

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Colm Ó Conaill', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] ODG Pre-Budget Submission 2025

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Mary Seery Kearney', 'role': 'Senator (Seanad)'} {'name': 'Micheál Carrigy', 'role': 'Senator (Seanad)'} {'name': 'Alan Farrell', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': "Fergus O'Dowd", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Annie Hoey', 'role': 'Senator (Seanad)'} {'name': 'Mark Wall', 'role': 'Senator (Seanad)'} + 20 more

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Health] DFI submission in response to Sinn Féin's policy paper 'Priorities for Changes in Health and Social Care'

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'David Cullinane', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Housing] Housing Adaptation Grant Review

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Cian O'Callaghan (Currently employed as a DPO)", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Lower House of the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Eoin Ó Broin (Currently employed as a DPO)', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Lower House of the Oireachtas)'} {'name': "Cian O'Callaghan", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Eoin Ó Broin', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Social Protection] Disability Social Protection and Poverty

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Paul McAuliffe', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] DFI Pre-Budget Submission 2025 and General Election Campaign Activities

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': "5 mass mailouts, with DFI's Pre-Budget Submission 2025 attached, to all Oireachtas Members who are members of the Oireachtas Committees on: Budgetary Oversight, Disability Matters, Health, Housing, and Social Protection."} {'name': 'David Cullinane', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Anne Rabbitte', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Mary Lou McDonald', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Pauline Tully', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': "Mal O'Hara", 'role': 'Senator (Seanad)'} + 3 more

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] DFI Local and EU Election Campaign

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Colm Ó Conaill', 'role': 'Assistant Secretary (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Barry Andrews', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Lynn Boylan', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Nina Carberry', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Barry Cowen', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} {'name': 'Regina Doherty', 'role': 'MEP (European Parliament)'} + 9 more

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Budgetary matters] ODG response to Budget 2025 and priorities for the next Programme for Government

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Mass mailout sent on 05/11/24 to all Oireachtas Members following letter sent to An Taoiseach and Ministers'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'An Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': "Roderic O'Gorman", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Anne Rabbitte', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Paschal Donohoe', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)'} {'name': 'Jack Chambers', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Finance)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Health] Personal Assistance Services

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Roderic O'Gorman", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Anne Rabbitte', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Michael Moynihan', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Pauline Tully', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Seán Canney', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Simon Coveney', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 10 more

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] DFI General Election Campaign

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Email All Councillors', 'role': 'Mass mailout via email to all Councillors on 05/11/24'} {'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Mass mailout via email to all Oireachtas Members on 05/11/24'} {'name': 'Email All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'Mass mailout via email to all election candidates including existing/sitting DPOs on 21/11/24'} {'name': 'Helen McEntee', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'} {'name': 'Paschal Donohoe', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform)'} {'name': 'Jennifer Carroll MacNeill', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Finance)'} + 20 more

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Budgetary matters] Pre-Budget Submission 2025

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Noel Byrne', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Anne Rabbitte', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'}

Disability Federation of Ireland

September–December

[Budgetary matters] Sectoral funding and pay issues

Public Officials Lobbied

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

Lobbying Tracker

Most Lobbied TDs