Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas arís leis an Taoiseach as ucht a fhreagra. As he has confirmed, the legislative programme published in January lists just this one Bill sponsored by him and currently under preparation. As others have said, the purpose of the now omnipresent national economic and social development office (amendment) Bill, which has been listed as part of the Government legislative programme since 2013 and has been talked about since then Deputy Brian Cowen served as Taoiseach, is to abolish the National Economic and Social Development Office and to place the NESC on a statutory footing. When will the Bill be finally introduced? I know the NESC was effectively moribund for a time but I am also aware that the Taoiseach opened up a process recently for independent appointments to the council and that a work programme is in place.

Has there been interest in or progress on appointments? When does the Taoiseach expect the process to be completed?

As for the work programme, I agree that challenges relating to deprivation, disadvantage and poverty are of huge concern in inner city and urban, but also rural settings. We should not miss the last. I also believe the phenomenon of precarious work must be tackled and weighed. Finally, the work programme must address environmental protection and climate change which, to be frank, the Government, as with its predecessors, does not have a handle on and in respect of which it has failed to demonstrate any credible ambition. Those jump out as three key context issues and then there is, of course, Brexit and all that is unfolding around us.

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