Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together.

The role of the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, is to analyse and report to the Taoiseach on strategic issues for Ireland’s economic, social, environmental and sustainable development. NESC comprises representatives of business and employers’ organisations, the ICTU, agricultural and farming organisations, the community and voluntary sector, the environmental sector, heads of Government Departments and independent experts.

The make-up of the council means that it can bring together different perspectives from civil society together with Government. This helps the NESC to analyse the challenges facing Irish society and to develop a shared understanding among its members of how to tackle these challenges. The council's work in recent years has included reports such as: Ireland’s Rental Sector: Pathways to Secure Occupancy and Affordable Supply; Housing Supply and Land: Driving Public Action for the Common Good; and Sustainable Development in Irish Aquaculture. The NESC secretariat also provides assistance to a number of Departments in the development of policy in specific priority areas.

The NESC secretariat continues its work, including on issues relevant to the programme for Government such as: housing supply, ownership and rental; climate change and social engagement on wind energy; jobless households; social dimensions of the crisis; consumer prices; labour market activation; and funding of higher education.

The Programme for Government sets out an approach to addressing long-term challenges involving the development of a broad-based political and public consensus before a settled action plan can be developed. Items identified in the programme for this type of longer-term planning are housing, broadband, climate change, pensions and long-term funding models in education and health. NESC, with its track record of engagement and consistent and high-quality work on contentious issues, has an important role to play. The views of other structures must also be taken into account.

The council's term of office has finished and I am making the necessary arrangements to appoint a new council. I expect to make those appointments by the end of this month.

Deputy Howlin asked about other new engagement structures. These include the national economic dialogue, the Labour Employer Economic Forum, which I chaired a meeting of recently, and the Climate Change Advisory Council. The Social Inclusion Forum has been in operation for some time now. The national dialogue on climate action has been launched recently and was confirmed today at Cabinet.

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