Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Having pursued the matter with the former Taoiseach, I am trying to get a view from the new Taoiseach as to the role he sees for the National Economic and Social Council into the future. As the Taoiseach knows, there was a very long gap between the termination of the term of office of the previous incumbents and the appointment of a new council.

The Government's legislative programme lists the National Economic and Social Development Office (Amendment) Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny but we have yet to see the heads of that Bill. The National Economic and Social Development Office, NESDO, was established by the National Economic and Social Development Office Act 2006. The proposed Bill in the programme for Government would dissolve NESDO and place NESC on a statutory basis. What role does the Taoiseach see for NESC? Will the Government be proceeding with this? From what I heard in his reply, I presume the Government will be proceeding with legislation this year.

On a related Bill, last week I introduced the Genuine Progress Indicators and National Distributional Accounts Bill to change the way we measure social progress in this country so that we would not merely be looking at economic growth but social and environmental issues also. Does the Taoiseach see that as a role for NESC?

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