Join Áine Myler, CEO of Charities Institute Ireland for our first Cork lunchtime leadership event.
 
Managing your Public Affairs & Strategic Communications

Kathleen O'Meara, Public Affairs Consultant

Are you so busy delivering for the government and the state that you are not spending any time influencing it? Are you being successful in having the campaigning goals in your strategic plan realised? Is the voice of your charity being heard powerfully and is it being heard where you need it to be heard? Are you combining your advocacy and fundraising asks for maximum effect?

Kathleen O’Meara is one of Ireland’s most experienced public affairs consultants, an expert in influencing policy and designing advocacy strategies that get results. A former journalist, politician and senior leader in the not-for-profit sector in Ireland, Kathleen has a keen understanding of how important it is to keep influencing government policy, especially when you have been tasked with delivering it. She is also a skilled communicator and has a passion for compelling, powerful communication which influences thinking and makes change happen.

Public Affairs Case Study

Shane Dempsey, Director of Communications - National Lottery

Last year, Benefacts showed that 34% of all funding for charities came from National Lottery funding with over 4000 groups per year receiving Good Causes funding.  Very often this funding is delivered through existing programmes within Government Departments. The National Lottery is attempting to increase awareness around this funding and how groups can access this funding.

In addition, the National Lottery believes that it can increase its contribution to Good Causes funding significantly.  It is calling for the end of the practice of bookies generating profit from Lottery draws. This could yield a further circa €63 million for Good Causes.  This is a live case study in attempting to build stakeholder support and in influencing the political system that attendees can gain insights from. 

Shane Dempsey is Head of Corporate Affairs in National Lottery and has over 20 years’ experience working in public affairs.  He has represented the technology, food, and construction industries in his previous roles.