Overwatch Report

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

May–August

[Health] Discussion

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'Tánaiste and Minister (Department of Foreign Affairs)'} {'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Stephen Donnelly', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Health)'} {'name': 'Hildegarde Naughton', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Health)'} {'name': "Roderic O'Gorman", 'role': 'Minister (Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth)'} {'name': 'Helen McEntee', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Justice)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

May–August

[Health] Raised the need for a dedicated National Action Plan for HIV and AIDS in Ireland and to stress the urgency given rising rates of HIV in Ireland..

Public Officials Lobbied

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

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Health] Launch of HIV Mobile screening service

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

May–August

[Health] Discussion with Minister Donnelly and department officials on Department of Health and HSE response to Monkeypox outbreak among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men and discussion of the planned vaccination programme.

Public Officials Lobbied

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

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Health] HIV and AIDS - World AIDS Day 2022, Changes to blood donations policy by IBTS, Monkeypox and vaccine rollout, funding for services for HIV testing and outreach

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Jennifer Carroll MacNeill', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Jerry Buttimer', 'role': 'Senator (Seanad)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

January–April

[Health] Invited General Election 2020 candidates to support delivering on the commitment to end new HIV transmissions by 2030; Develop and deliver a new national sexual health strategy; Achieve zero HIV-related stigma and discrimination; Fully fund HIV services; Review the legislation that criminalises the purchase of sex; Resource early harm reduction re: chem sex; end discriminatory ban on blood donations for gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men; resource national peer support network

Public Officials Lobbied

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

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

May–August

[Justice and Equality] Attended National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy Implementation Steering Group meeting.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Oonagh Buckley', 'role': 'Deputy Secretary (Department of Justice and Equality)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Health] Meeting with MInister Frank Feighan at which need to improve availability of testing for HIV and STIs was discussed. Also discussed the need for a clear and robust strategy to deal with HIV.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Frank Feighan', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Health)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Health] Meeting with Tanaiste Leo Varadkar on 30 Nov 2020 at Government Buildings as part of an awareness raising event for World AIDS Day.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'An Tánaiste (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Health] Discussion with Tanaiste Leo Varadkar TD on progress or plans for monument marking the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Ireland.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'An Tánaiste (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

January–April

[Health] HIV Ireland lobbied on the issue of PrEP, funding, community testing, counselling supports, and the International Fast Track Cities initiative.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Catherine Byrne', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Health)'} {'name': 'Clare Mungovan', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

May–August

[Health] HIV Ireland lobbied on the introduction of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) to Ireland

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Philip O’Callaghan', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Clare Mungovan', 'role': 'Special Adviser (Department of Defence)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Health] HIV Ireland lobbied on the current situation with regard to HIV in Ireland, and proposed five actions for the government to take in 2019 in order to achieve a reduction in new HIV diagnoses in Ireland. These actions included increasing HIV testing, reducing HIV stigma, adopting the international fast track city initiative, increasing funding for HIV organisations, and developing a PrEP programme (HIV prevention medication) with PrEP being made available on the medical card.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Event / Reception All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'HIV Ireland held an event in the AV Room on Wednesday 28th November 2018 launching our 5 Asks Leaflet. We also gained the support of all party leaders to undertake a Rapid HIV Test, 5 on the day in the AV room, and the Taoiseach on Saturday 1st December, World AIDS Day.'} {'name': 'Letter All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'We followed up the event of the 28th November with a letter to all members of the Oireachtas enclosing a copy of the 5 Asks Leaflet, and a request to meet and discuss our 5 Asks further.'} {'name': 'Leo Varadkar', 'role': 'Taoiseach (Department of the Taoiseach)'} {'name': 'Mary Lou McDonald', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Micheál Martin', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Brendan Howlin', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} + 14 more

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

May–August

[Health] HIV Ireland called on the HSE and Government to make Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, a HIV prevention medication, to be made available on the medical card in Ireland

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Event / Reception All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'HIV Ireland launched a policy options paper on PrEP and issued a press release calling for PrEP to be introduced as per above. This garnered media coverage that included a public call from our Executive Director for Minister Harris to publicly support PrEP'} {'name': 'Simon Harris', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Health)'} {'name': 'Mary Lou McDonald', 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'} {'name': 'Paschal Donohoe', 'role': 'Minister (Department of Public Expenditure and Reform)'} {'name': "Maureen O'Sullivan", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Health] HIV and Stigma

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Catherine Byrne', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Health)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

January–April

[Health] HIV and Sexual Health within the context of the National Sexual Health Strategy and lack of resources within the strategy. Discussion on rising HIV figures, PrEP and PEP, need for increased testing, need to target particularly marginalised groups such as migrants, drug users, people who are homeless, men who have sex with men and sex workers. Discussed proposed Bill from previous Dail on criminalising the purchase of sex and potential negative impact of this on health of sex workers.

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Maureen O'Sullivan", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Health] Submission to the Department on the development of a new National Drugs Strategy

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Catherine Byrne', 'role': 'Minister of State (Department of Health)'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Justice and Equality] Part 4 of the proposed Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': 'Letter All Oireachtas Members', 'role': 'The letter was accompanied by a research report produced by HIV Ireland on the potential impact of the Swedish model on rates of HIV/AIDS among sex workers and their access to healthcare'}

Dublin AIDS Alliance CLG trading as HIV Ireland

September–December

[Health] Section 20 of Criminal Offences Bill 2015 criminalising the buyers of sex

Public Officials Lobbied

{'name': "Maureen O'Sullivan", 'role': 'TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)'}

Lobbying Tracker

Most Lobbied TDs