Dr. Dermot Coates:

The lead Department is the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications but in our own case, the Department certainly tries to use the various channels available to it to promote awareness of sustainable development goals. Our own statement of strategy was referenced in the White Paper but it would also be flagged on the agenda for things such as the Labour Employer Economic Forum, LEEF, or through the State agencies and how they deal with firms to try to mainstream awareness of what these are and what our role here is. On a more specific point, we even try to raise awareness among our own officials because as people do their day-to-day work they are aware we have commitments here to move towards decent work, etc. The Department has made quite a lot of efforts in that space, and I referred to that in the opening statement, just to boost awareness. People have to be cognisant of what these goals are. Certainly, over the course of my career since I returned to the Civil Service in the last five years or so, I must admit I heard SDGs and wondered what they were exactly. A lot of work has been put in across a number of Departments just on that general level of awareness-raising and educating staff.