Politician(s) lobbied: Helen McEntee (Minister), Department of Foreign Affairs
Intent: To bring about an end to the occupation of the West Bank by illegal Israeli settlers and the displacement of Palestinian people from their own lands.
Methods: LetterInformal communication
Details by Method
Method not specified
The immediate passage of the Occupied Territories Bill and seeking to have both good AND services included. Urging the Government to expedite the passage of the Occupied Territories Bill through the Oireachtas and to have both goods and services included. This is in response to the illegal occupation by Israel of the West Bank and the ongoing displacement of Palestinian people there.
Politician(s) lobbied: Martin Fraser (Ambassador), Department of Foreign Affairs; Neale Richmond (Minister of State), Department of Foreign Affairs
Intent: 1) To ensure that the challenges faced by Irish people in prison and particularly those who have finished their sentences in Ireland are understood by relevant government officials. To ensure that better support is provided to Irish people in prison overseas and on their return either by the State, or that organisations such as ICPO continue to be funded to carry out this work.::2) Agreements are put in place and legislation introduced where necessary to ensure that US Driver licences can be exchanged in Ireland and people returning including people resettling in Ireland after prison in the US do not have to sit a driver test in Ireland those delaying or reducing the options for employment.
Methods: MeetingEvent / Reception
Details by Method
Method not specified
1) Raising awareness of the challenges faced by Irish people in prison overseas and seeking to improve the supports and information available to them in prison and on return. 2) The achievement of unilateral or reciprocal (as appropriate) driver licence exchange with the United States as part of the Irish-US Driver’s Licence Exchange Campaign. This would improve the employment prospects of ICPO clients returning from the United States who hold an US driver licence.
Politician(s) lobbied: Anne Marie Hoey (Chief People Officer), Health Service Executive
Intent: Update provided on the Healthcare Chaplaincy Board's efforts to meet HSE employment requirements through standards for chaplains, CPD provisions, CPE centre accreditation ad networking for Healthcare Chaplains. Challenges outlined included reduced staffing, unfilled posts, hospitals with minimal or no chaplaincy service and diminishing availability of priests for on-call duties.
Methods: Meeting
Details by Method
Method not specified
Discussions focused on the significant rise in demand for chaplaincy services since COVID-19
Method not specified
with both the increased workload and growing complexity highlighted.
Politician(s) lobbied: Neale Richmond (Minister of State), Department of Foreign Affairs
Intent: To raise awareness of the challenges of Irish people in prison overseas and to improve the outcomes of people seeking to resettle here after imprisonment overseas; to bring about changes to public policy and programmes regarding people seeking to return to Ireland on licence from the UK and people seeking to transfer their sentence to an Irish prison
Methods: SubmissionEmail
Details by Method
Method not specified
Participated in the consultation process to inform the Government's new Diaspora Strategy organised by the Department of Foreign Affairs by participating in the online Global Irish Survey for Organisations and submitting a Position Paper to the Global Diaspora Consultation
Politician(s) lobbied: Fiona Penollar (Director General), Department of Foreign Affairs
Intent: For the Department of Foreign Affairs to consider a multi-annual funding commitment for a funded entity.
Methods: MeetingEmail
Details by Method
Method not specified
To discuss funding implications for a DFA funded entity following internal re-structuring.
Politician(s) lobbied: Neale Richmond (Minister of State), Department of Foreign Affairs; Neale Richmond (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: 1) To outline our concerns regarding Irish people imprisoned abroad and the issues they face when they return home in order to improve their experience. 2) Meeting with the Minister to outline our concerns regarding Irish people imprisoned abroad and those wishing to return home to serve their sentence or while released on licence. 3) Policy change to allow the few Irish people wishing to return to Ireland while on licence from the UK to do so.
Methods: Meeting
Details by Method
Method not specified
1) Seeking to highlight issues arising for Irish people who return to Ireland after serving a sentence in prison or detention to improve their re-settlement experience and outcomes. 2) Seeking to progress the current situation with regard to Irish people released on licence in the UK. 3) Seeking to progress the repatriation of Irish prisoners overseas who wish to return to Ireland to serve their sentence.
Politician(s) lobbied: Jim O'Callaghan (Minister), Department of Justice
Intent: 1) Meeting with the Minister to outline our concerns regarding Irish people imprisoned abroad and those wishing to return home to serve their sentence or while released on licence2) Policy change to allow the few Irish people wishing to return to Ireland while on licence from the UK to do so.3) Improvements to current process to make it quicker and more efficient thus enabling transfers of Irish prisoners back to Ireland close to their families.
Methods: Letter
Details by Method
Method not specified
Policy regarding Irish people in prison overseas in particular those seeking to transfer their sentence to an Irish prison and those seeking to return while on licence. 1) Seeking to progress the current situation with regard to Irish people released on licence in the UK. 2) Seeking to progress the repatriation of Irish prisoners overseas who wish to return to Ireland to serve their sentence. 3) Requesting a meeting with the Minister to progress these issues.
Politician(s) lobbied: Unknown
Intent: Unknown
Methods: Unknown
Details by Method
Method not specified
Unknown
Politician(s) lobbied: Simon Harris (An Taoiseach), Department of the Taoiseach; Thomas Pringle (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Caron McCaffrey (Director General), Irish Prison Service; Ben Ryan (Assistant Secretary), Department of Justice
Intent: 1) Policy change to allow the small number of Irish people wishing to return to Ireland while on licence from the UK to do so; 2) Improvements to current process to make it quicker and more efficient thus enabling transfers of Irish prisoners back to Ireland close to families; 3) Improvements to the situation of Foreign National prisoners in Irish prisons.
Methods: LetterEmailVirtual Meeting
Details by Method
Method not specified
1) Seeking to progress current situation regarding Irish people released on licence in UK; 2) Seeking to progress the repatriation of Irish prisoners overseas wishing to return to Ireland; 3) Discussing recent research on Foreign National Prisoners in Irish prisons by Maynooth University in partnership with ICPO and findings from research which
Method not specified
if implemented
Method not specified
would improve the situation of foreign national prisoners in Irish prisons.
Politician(s) lobbied: Thomas Pringle (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: To ensure that there is a process where Irish people on licence in the UK who have family and supports in Ireland can return to Ireland during their licence period
Methods: Email
Details by Method
Method not specified
Seeking clarification re number of Irish citizens who have returned home while on licence* from the UK and if the Department of Justice or Probation Service intends to enter into any agreement with UK counterparts to facilitate the return to Ireland of former prisoners released on licence where the person wishes to return. *Release on licence means a person is released from prison generally half-way through their sentence but must abide by certain rules and supervised by Probation Service
