Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 to 15, inclusive, together.

The Programme for Government: Our Shared Future committed to establishing four citizens’ assemblies on the following topics: biodiversity loss; the type of directly elected mayor and local government structures best suited for Dublin; drugs use; and the future of education. Three of those four citizens’ assemblies have now concluded their work and submitted their reports to the Oireachtas. The Dublin Citizens' Assembly concluded its meetings in October 2022 and submitted its report to the Oireachtas in December just gone by. The Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage published its response to the report in December. The Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss concluded its meetings in January 2023 and submitted its report to the Oireachtas in March 2023. The Oireachtas Committee on the Environment and Climate Action published its response to the report in December 2023. The Minister and officials in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are now leading on the preparation of a whole-of-government response to the recommendations of both the Dublin Citizens' Assembly and the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, and these responses will be published in due course, once they have been finalised.

The Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use concluded its meetings in October and submitted its report to the Oireachtas in December. The report was published on 25 January and the Dáil and Seanad will now refer the report to an Oireachtas committee for consideration. I recently met with Paul Reid, the chairman of that assembly, who briefed me on the work done. I thank him and, indeed, all those who took part in the citizens’ assembly and the secretariat for their participation and commitment to the task.

The Government will consider the question of further citizens’ assemblies in due course. However, there is an extant commitment for a citizens' assembly on education to begin its work this year.

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