Focus Ireland

Politician(s) lobbied: Eamon Scanlon (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Malcolm Byrne (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Victor Boyhan (Senator), Seanad; Rose Conway-Walsh (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Séamus Healy (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Conor Sheehan (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Chris Andrews (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Eoin Ó Broin (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas

Intent: Change perceptions around homelessness and build support for Focus Ireland's proposal to ring fence social housing for people who are long term homeless

Methods: Meeting

Politician(s) lobbied: Mary Hayes (Director of Services or Equivalent), Dublin City Council; Rose Conway-Walsh (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas

Intent: To call for a reform to the HAP process and current funding available for the HAP scheme

Methods: Event / Reception

Politician(s) lobbied: Joe Cooney (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Sinéad Gibney (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Robert O'Donoghue (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; Shane Curley (Senator), Seanad; Nessa Cosgrove (Senator), Seanad; Alan Harney (Councillor), Galway County Council; Mark Wall (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas

Intent: To highlight NOPFA's pre-budgetary recommendations in order to increase resources directed to assist lone parents/one parent families at risk of homelessness::Increase resources directed to assist lone parents/one parent families at risk of homelessness

Methods: Event / Reception

Politician(s) lobbied: James Browne (Minister), Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Intent: To highlight the urgency of a review of the HAP scheme to the Minister for Housing, the impact that we are seeing of the dysfunction of the scheme on those availing of the scheme and the changes to the scheme that we believe can improve the functioning and accessibility of the scheme.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Adrienne Wallace (Councillor), Carlow County Council; Peter Horgan (Councillor), Cork City Council; Joe Lynch (Councillor), Cork City Council; Conor Reddy (Councillor), Dublin City Council; Dermot Lacey (Councillor), Dublin City Council; Oisín O'Connor (Councillor), Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council; Brendan Ryan (Councillor), Fingal County Council; Louis O'Hara (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas; William Durkan (Councillor), Kildare County Council; Pat Balfe (Councillor), Kildare County Council; Nuala Killeen (Councillor), Kildare County Council; Chris Pender (Councillor), Kildare County Council; Lumi Panaite Fahey (Councillor), Kildare County Council; Seán Ó hArgáin (Councillor), Kilkenny County Council

Intent: Quarterly public reports on youth homelessness data across 18 local authorities. They were also encouraged to raise the issue within their Housing Strategic Policy Committees,submit questions on current data practices, and advocate for improved data and a successor youth homelessness strategy within their political parties. The aim is to support cross-party efforts toward ending homelessness by 2030 and to drive tangible improvements in local data collection and consultation

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Norma Foley (Minister), Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Intent: That the Minister would consider amending the legislation so that some young people who don't meet the 12 months in care criterion for aftercare would be considered for

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: John Connolly (TD), Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas

Intent: Focus Ireland Strategy Development 2026-2030

Methods: EmailMeeting

Politician(s) lobbied: Mary Hayes (Director of Services or Equivalent), Dublin City Council

Intent: Contact took place with the DRHE to have access to additional funding, as funding has fallen behind actual costs, of maintaining some of our older properties / services (Stanhope, George’s Hill) prompting a request to address sustainability.

Methods: Email

Politician(s) lobbied: Sean MCKeown (Director of Services or Equivalent), Kilkenny County Council; Sean MCKeown (Chief Executive Officer), Waterford City and County Council; Lar Power (Chief Executive Officer), Kilkenny County Council

Intent: Follow on correspondence to Waterford County Council to recoup funding deficits regarding service level agreements 2024::Follow on correspondence to Kilkenny County Council to recoup funding deficits regarding service level agreements 2024

Methods: Letter

Politician(s) lobbied: Mary Hayes (Director of Services or Equivalent), Dublin City Council

Intent: A request from DRHE to support with extra intensive support staff for Housing First service.

Methods: Meeting