2026-09-21
16 officialsCurrent/Former DPOFAQ Politician(s) lobbied: Ivana Bacik (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Emer Higgins (Minister of State), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Kiera Keogh (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Gillian Toole (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Roderic O'Gorman (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Richard Boyd Barrett (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Liam Quaide (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Jack Chambers (Minister), Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Maurice Quinlivan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Peadar Tóibín (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Gareth Scahill (Senator), Seanad; Ruairí Ó Murchú (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Micheál Martin (Taoiseach), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Martin Daly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Louise O'Reilly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: Resourcing to support key shared disability priorities
Methods: Event / ReceptionMeetingVirtual MeetingEmail
Details by Method
Event / Reception
16/06/26: Alison Harnett, Megan Leahy and Michael Seifu attended the Fianna Fail Ard Fheis to engage with party members on shared disability priorities.
Meeting
August 2026: During a meeting with Deputy Keogh, Mental Health Reform Representatives asked the Deputy to raise with her parliamentary party colleagues a broader invitation forrepresentatives from the Disability Political Engagement Group to meet and discuss shared priorities ahead of Budget 2027.
Meeting
August 2026: During a meeting with Deputy Quaide, Mental Health Reform Representatives asked the Deputy to raise with his parliamentary party colleagues a broader invitation forrepresentatives from the Disability Political Engagement Group to meet and discuss shared priorities ahead of Budget 2027.
Virtual Meeting
August 26: During a meeting with Senator Schill, Inclusion IrelandRepresentatives asked the Senator Scahill to raise with his parliamentary party colleagues a broader invitation forrepresentatives from the Disability Political Engagement Group to meet and discuss shared priorities ahead of Budget 2027.
Email
political groupings on the DisabilityJuly 2026: Emails were sent to Oireachtas Memebers offering to brief Political Parties and Political Engagement Group's (DPEG) shared priorities in advance of Budget 2027 and to facilitate further engagement on these proposals.
Politician(s) lobbied: Maurice Quinlivan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Micheál Carrigy (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Martin Daly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Aisling Dempsey (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Kiera Keogh (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Liam Quaide (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Gillian Toole (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Ruairí Ó Murchú (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Senator), Seanad; Nikki Bradley (Senator), Seanad; Maria Byrne (Senator), Seanad; Tom Clonan (Senator), Seanad; Laura Harmon (Senator), Seanad; Pádraig Rice (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Colm Burke (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Michael Cahill (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Sorca Clarke (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; David Cullinane (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Pádraig O'Sullivan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Peter Roche (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Marie Sherlock (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; John Paul O'Shea (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; William Aird (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Tom Brabazon (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Johnny Guirke (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Pat the Cope Gallagher (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Eoin Hayes (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Louise O'Reilly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Mark Wall (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Emer Higgins (Minister of State), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Dara Calleary (Minister), Department of Social Protection; Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Minister), Department of Health; Simon Harris (Tánaiste and Minister), Department of Finance
Intent: To secure funding in the budget to enable people with disabilities to live independently and to be able to avail of services such as PA's Day Centres, Housing etc
Methods: MeetingSubmission
Details by Method
Meeting
Met with TD's and Senators re pre-budget asks
Submission
Sent a submission to Disability Matters Committee, Health Committee, Social Protection, Housing
Politician(s) lobbied: Michael Lowry (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: To ensure UD+ targets are in the new HSAP
Methods: Email
Details by Method
Email
Highlight inadequacies of a two storey home for lone parent with child with mobility issues. Seeking council support to purchase a specific home identified as suitable.
Politician(s) lobbied: James Browne (Minister), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Intent: For all Local authorities to pass a motion to fund full time Access Officers
Methods: Email
Details by Method
Email
Email sent to Minister Browne requesting Department to provide additional funding to local authorities to recruit a full time access officer
Politician(s) lobbied: Simon Harris (Tánaiste and Minister), Department of Finance; Emer Higgins (Minister of State), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Intent: That the Disabled Drivers scheme would not be impacted by the introduction of the VAS and any review carried out would not negatively impact people with disabilities
Methods: Phone callEvent / ReceptionLetter
Details by Method
Phone call
3 phone calls were made in relation to a meeting that had been promised
Event / Reception
Joan Carthy attended a the Economic Dialog Forum and asked Minister Harris about the Disabled Drivers Scheme and how it will negatively impact people with disabilities if it is taken away. The Minister made a commitment to meet with IWA
Letter
Letter sent to Minister Harris to request he set a date for a meeting promised
Letter
Letter sent to Minister Higgins explaining issues with DDS
Event / Reception
Spoke to Minister Higgins at an event about the DDS, she requested further information to be sent to her
Politician(s) lobbied: Emer Higgins (Minister of State), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth; Jack Chambers (Minister), Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform; Louise O'Reilly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: to secure a 400 euro paymrnt for people with disabilities
Methods: LetterMeeting
Details by Method
Letter
Letter sent to Minister Chambers requesting a meeting, no response
Meeting
Met with Louise O'Reilly
Meeting
Met with Minister Higgins
Letter
letter was sent to Minister Higgins requesting a meeting
Politician(s) lobbied: Unknown
Intent: The motion would be passed and a full time access officer would be recruited
Methods: Unknown
Details by Method
Method not specified
IWA contacted all local authorities to request they put through a motion to fund a full time Access officer
Politician(s) lobbied: Paul McAuliffe (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Anne Rabbitte (Senator), Seanad; Martin Daly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Seamus McGrath (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Aisling Dempsey (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Senator), Seanad; Dee Ryan (Senator), Seanad; Michael Cahill (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Cormac Devlin (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Erin McGreehan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: Support for the priorities outlined in our Pre-Budget Submission
Methods: Meeting
Details by Method
Meeting
Representing NDSA as part of the Oireachtas Disability Group around Pre-budget submission
Politician(s) lobbied: Erin McGreehan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Pauline Tully (Senator), Seanad; Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Senator), Seanad; Liam Quaide (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Paul Murphy (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Richard Boyd Barrett (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Holly Cairns (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Sorca Clarke (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Ivana Bacik (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Cian O'Callaghan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Cian O'Callaghan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Maurice Quinlivan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Peadar Tóibín (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas
Intent: The government would realise how harsh budget 26 was on people with disabilities and will introduce an emergncy winter payment to elivate the some of the struggle felt by having to make decisions brtween eating and heating
Methods: Lobby day
Details by Method
Lobby day
Held a rally on the 9th Dec outside Leinster House
Politician(s) lobbied: Ivana Bacik (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Marie Sherlock (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; George Lawlor (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Mark Wall (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Conor Sheehan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Ciarán Ahern (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Ged Nash (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (MEP), European Parliament; Laura Harmon (Senator), Seanad; Nessa Cosgrove (Senator), Seanad; Carrie Smyth (Councillor), Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
Intent: to gain support around cost of disability, wage subsidity scheme and budget outcome
Methods: Event / Reception
Details by Method
Event / Reception
Attended Labour Conference in Limerick
