Politician(s) lobbied: James Browne (Minister), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Micheál Carrigy (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Seamus McGrath (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Richard Boyd Barrett (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Paula Butterly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Joe Cooney (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Thomas Gould (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Rory Hearne (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Paul McAuliffe (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Eoin Ó Broin (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Conor Sheehan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Pat Casey (Senator), Seanad; Joe Flaherty (Senator), Seanad; Aubrey McCarthy (Senator), Seanad; Maria McCormack (Senator), Seanad; PJ Murphy (Senator), Seanad; David Kelly (Assistant Secretary), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Lynn Ruane (Senator), Seanad; Alice-Mary Higgins (Senator), Seanad; Frances Black (Senator), Seanad; Eileen Flynn (Senator), Seanad; Chris Andrews (Senator), Seanad; Tom Clonan (Senator), Seanad; Neasa Hourigan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Laura Harmon (Senator), Seanad; Maria McCormack (Senator), Seanad; Nicole Ryan (Senator), Seanad; Patricia Stephenson (Senator), Seanad; Pauline Tully (Senator), Seanad
Intent: To express FLAC’s significant concerns around the provisions of the Housing and Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026, to seek consultation on the Bill and to seek for the Bill not to be proceeded with.
Methods: EmailMeetingPhone callInformal communication
Details by Method
Email
Email about the Bill and enclosing FLAC submissions sent to members of the Seanad by Christopher Bowes dated 9 July 2026.
Email
Emails enclosing a letter and FLAC’s preliminary analysis of the 2026 Bill dated 9 June 2026 sent to the Minister for Housing, members of the Oireachtas Housing Committee and Labour Party Housing Spokesperson. Follow-up email sent to Eoin Ó Broin TD dated 11 June 2026.
Email
Emails enclosing a letter with FLAC’s further analysis of the 2026 Bill dated 7 July 2026 sent to the Minister for Housing, Minier for Children, Disability and Equality, members of the Oireachtas Housing Committee and Labour Party Housing Spokesperson.
Email
Emails with a FLAC statement about the 2026 Bill dated 8 July 2026 sent to members of the Oireachtas Housing Committee and Labour Party Housing Spokesperson.
Meeting
Online meeting about the Bill with Department of Housing Officials including David Kelly attended by Christopher Bowes and Sinéad Lucey on 17 June 2026.
Meeting
Online meeting about the Bill with Eoin Ó Broin TD, Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Rory Hearne TD and Conor Sheehan TD attended by Christopher Bowes on 15 June 2026.
Phone call
Phonecall between Christopher Bowes and to Eoin Ó Broin TD about the Bill on 13 June 2026.
Informal communication
Whatsapp message from Christopher Bowes sent to Eoin Ó Broin TD about the Bill dated 8 July 2026
Politician(s) lobbied: Micheál Martin (Taoiseach), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Helen McEntee (Minister), Department of Foreign Affairs
Intent: To outline FLAC’s views (in tandem with a coalition of human rights organisations on the island of Ireland) on Ireland’s commitment to the ECHR and to urge the Government to publicly reaffirm their commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and to resist any moves that would weaken its protections.
Methods: Email
Details by Method
Email
Letter sent by email
Politician(s) lobbied: Matt Carthy (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Jim O'Callaghan (Minister), Department of Justice; Mark Ward (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Gary Gannon (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Anne Rabbitte (Senator), Seanad
Intent: To outline FLAC’s views on the need for reform of the civil legal aid scheme, the need for resourcing of the scheme, the form and extent of reform and investment required and the need for implementation of the recommendations to arise from the review of the civil legal aid scheme completed in 2025.
Methods: EmailMeeting
Details by Method
Email
Emails (and letters sent by email) to the office of the Minister for Justice to invite him to launch the FLAC 2025 Annual Report and to arrange for his attendance at the report launch and related matters date 17 and 29 June and 1, 7, 8 10 and 14 July.
Email
Letter sent by email on 30 July 2026 to the Minister for Justice
Meeting
Remarks made by (and discussion with the Minister by) Eilis Barry and Fiona Donson at the FLAC Annual Report Launch on 12 July 2026.
Meeting
Remarks made by Eilis Barry at the launch of the Oireachtas Justice Committee report on Civil Legal Aid on 2 July 2026 and discussion with the Chair of that Committee.
Politician(s) lobbied: Matt Carthy (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Jim O'Callaghan (Minister), Department of Justice
Intent: To outline FLAC’s concerns about the barriers to justice which may be imposed by the Bill as presently drafted and our recommendations for the Bill, as well as to seek consultation about the Bill and judicial review
Methods: EmailMeeting
Details by Method
Email
Emails (and letters sent by email) to the office of the Minister for Justice to invite him to launch the FLAC 2025 Annual Report and to arrange for his attendance at the report launch and related matters date 17 and 29 June and 1, 7, 8 10 and 14 July.
Email
Letter sent by email on 30 July 2026 to the Minister for Justice
Email
Letter sent by email on 6 May 2026 to the Chair of the Oireachtas Justice Committee.
Meeting
Meeting with Deputy Carthy in Leinster House attended by Eilis Barry, Christopher Bowes & Colm O'Halloran.
Meeting
Remarks made by (and discussion with the Minister by) Eilis Barry and Fiona Donson at the FLAC Annual Report Launch on 12 July 2026.
Politician(s) lobbied: Jim O'Callaghan (Minister), Department of Justice; Doncha O'Sullivan (Secretary General), Department of Justice
Intent: To receive additional funding in Budget 2027
Methods: EmailMeeting
Details by Method
Email
Letter sent by email to the Minister and officials dated 22 June 2026, and letter sent by email to the Minister dated 30 July 2026.
Meeting
Remarks made by (and discussion with the Minister by) Eilis Barry and Fiona Donson at the FLAC Annual Report Launch on 12 July 2026.
Politician(s) lobbied: Laurence Simms (Joint Secretary), Department of Foreign Affairs
Intent: To provide information to Ireland's Permanent Mission in Geneva about FLAC's view (as a civil society organisation) about Ireland's role in the Universal Periodic Process and to provide FLAC and ICCL's joint UPR submission containing policy and law reform recommendations in relation to Legal Aid, Non-Discrimination, Judicial Review, Human Rights and Traveller and Roma rights.
Methods: Meeting
Details by Method
Meeting
Meeting at Ireland's permanent mission in Geneva on on Tuesday, 25 August from 15:30-16:30.
Politician(s) lobbied: Micheál Martin (Taoiseach), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Helen McEntee (Minister), Department of Foreign Affairs
Intent: To express FLAC's concerns about to potential political declaration on the ECHR
Methods: Email
Details by Method
Email
Letter sent by email dated 11 May 2026
Politician(s) lobbied: Helen McEntee (Minister), Department of Foreign Affairs
Intent: To express FLAC's concerns about to potential political declaration on the ECHR and to request a meeting. The political declarations referred to were proposed by a number of Council of Europe members states and seek to emphasise how States expect rights to be applied in practice, particularly in migration cases. FLAC is concerned at any declaration which could potentially weaken the protections provided by the ECHR.
Methods: Email
Details by Method
Email
Letter sent by email dated 3 March 2026
Politician(s) lobbied: Matt Carthy (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Andrew Munro (Assistant Secretary), Department of Justice; Paula Butterly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Tom Brabazon (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Catherine Callaghan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Albert Dolan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Gary Gannon (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Alan Kelly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Pádraig O'Sullivan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Mark Ward (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Robbie Gallagher (Senator), Seanad; Garret Kelleher (Senator), Seanad; Michael McDowell (Senator), Seanad; Anne Rabbitte (Senator), Seanad; Lynn Ruane (Senator), Seanad
Intent: To outline FLAC's recommendations concerning civil legal aid reform
Methods: EmailMeeting
Details by Method
Email
Email of 8 January 2026 inviting Matt Carthy TD to FLAC's civil legal aid conference.3 emails on 15 January 2026 to arrange a meeting with Deputy Carty.
Email
Emails to the Committee regarding FLAC's submission and appearance before them dated 15 (2 emails) and 23(1 email) January 202 to outline FLAC's recommendations on civil legal aid reform.
Meeting
In person conversation with Mr Andrew Munro, Head of Legislation for Civil Justice, Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration at the Department of Justice offices on 16 April 2026 to seek an update on any planned civil legal aid reform and to express FLAC's reform recommendations.
Meeting
Meeting with Deputy Carthy in Leinster House attended by Eilis Barry, Christopher Bowes & Colm O'Halloran.
Politician(s) lobbied: Jim O'Callaghan (Minister), Department of Justice
Intent: To outline FLAC's views to the Minister
Methods: Meeting
Details by Method
Meeting
Brief conversation with the Minister in advance of the FLAC and TCD legal aid conference in Trinity College Dublin on 12 January 2026
