Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together.

Notwithstanding the impact of Covid-19 on all aspects of the social and economic life of our country, we have been working hard to implement commitments in the programme for Government across a wide range of issues in all Departments. A structure comprising ten Cabinet committees with specific responsibility for a range of issues has been established to support the achievement of these objectives. These committees deal with the following matters: Government response to Covid-19; economic recovery and investment; housing; health; environment and climate change; social affairs and equality; education; Europe; Brexit and Northern Ireland; and Government co-ordination. Cabinet committees meet regularly, consistent with the provisions in the programme for Government, and further committees will be established by the Government if necessary.

A range of social and economic issues which impact on programme for Government commitments and which cut across many Departments have been considered and progressed through the Cabinet committee on the Government response to Covid-19, leading to the development of Ireland's national plan in response to Covid-19, the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business and Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with Covid-19, which was launched recently. Issues considered in each of these plans include the social and societal impacts, employee impacts and business continuity, supports for individuals and businesses, economic and budgetary implications, modelling, communications and international response measures.

Other programme for Government commitments that have been progressed in the past four months or so include ongoing monitoring and management of the impact of Covid-19 on the provision of both Covid and non-Covid healthcare to ensure sufficient capacity, utilise new technologies, support vulnerable groups and develop new pathways of care. The HSE's winter plan for this year, supported by the allocation of an additional €600 million, will deliver essential healthcare in a Covid-19 environment while advancing the goals of Sláintecare through prioritisation of primary care and community services.

The 24th plenary meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council was held in Dublin Castle on 31 July. It provided the new Irish Government and the restored Northern Ireland Executive to meet formally for the first time and exchange views on a wide range of issues of mutual interest and concern, including Covid-19 and Brexit. A shared island unit has been established in my Department and its work is underway. Budget 2021 included a shared island fund with a planned €500 million to be made available out to 2025. This fund will provide the resources to deliver on our commitment to build a shared island underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. The fund will foster new investment and development opportunities on a North-South basis and support the delivery of key cross-Border infrastructure initiatives set out in the programme for Government.

The July jobs stimulus was launched that month and comprises more than 50 measures and includes in excess of €4 billion of direct expenditure, €1 billion of taxation measures to directly support businesses, as well as €2 billion in credit guarantees. A unit to help co-ordinate future social dialogue has been established within my Department. This unit will seek to create new models of sectoral engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across civil society. It is part of the economic division of my Department which is already involved in dialogue with the social partners.

A number of key climate action commitments have been achieved including the publication on 7 October of the draft text for the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2020, which will set the country on course to become climate-neutral by 2050. Work is under way to have the Bill enacted this year.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

Funding of more than €3 billion has been granted in budget 2021 for housing, along with additional funding in the July stimulus package. A €118 million skills package has been announced as part of budget 2021 to help workers to reskill and retrain in areas where there is a skill shortage or potential for future employment. A €121 million budget package has been announced to provide additional funding to Tusla, for direct provision services, for youth and childcare services and for Traveller and Roma initiatives. A suite of support measures has been announced for tourism, culture, arts, Gaeltacht, sport and media, including a €50 million support package for live entertainment and an additional €50 million for the Arts Council. There are ongoing negotiations at European Council level on the Multi-annual Financial Framework, MFF, the seven-year budget for the EU, and on the Next Generation EU recovery package. Other issues considered at last week’s European Council meeting which I attended in Brussels, included EU-UK relations, climate change and external relations.

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