Dr. Dermot Coates:

-----to advise on the implementation of what is now known as pathways to work. I know people might say we just put in place some kind of structure or council but those are really important for driving progress against the goals and monitoring the goals. The council has published a mid-term review. That pathways to work strategy deals with matters such as the cost of disability, increasing the employment rate for people with disability, dealing with those not in education, employment or training, or NEETs, and those kinds of cohorts. That has been an important development and it is headed up by very high-powered people who are well capable of pointing out where we are missing our targets.

With monitoring, it is not simply Departments talking to each other but making sure we go beyond that and are talking to the public. Two stakeholder events are run each year, which are open for people to come and attend. We present at those on progress on the sustainable development goals, blockages and what has been achieved. I understand the next one will be held this Friday at the Aviva Stadium.

On the work of the interdepartmental working group, my colleagues Mr. Noujoum and Ms De Blasio, attend representing the Department. They might wish to contribute and give a flavour of the work of the group and some of its recent discussions, if that was of interest.