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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 20, inclusive, together.

Ireland submitted its national reform programme, NRP, for 2022 to the European Commission on 4 May. The NRP was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and published on gov.iethereafter. The NRP is an element of the European semester, the annual cycle of economic and fiscal policy co-ordination among EU member states. As part of the semester, Ireland, along with all other member states, is required to prepare and submit an NRP to the European Commission each year. No NRP was submitted in 2021 as the semester process was temporarily suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The NRP provides an overview of economic reforms and policy actions under way in Ireland, including a response to country-specific recommendations received. In 2022, the NRP also fulfilled one of the two biannual reporting requirements of member states under the recovery and resilience facility.

The challenges and Government policy responses that were addressed in Ireland's 2022 NRP included climate action and the environment, housing, supporting participation in the labour market, rebuilding and supporting sustainable enterprise, planning for the future, and long-term fiscal sustainability. Development of the programme was co-ordinated by the Department of the Taoiseach, with input from relevant Departments and agencies, drawing on Government strategies such as the economic recovery plan, Housing for All, and the climate action plan. As part of this process, stakeholders were invited to make submissions on the key challenges to be addressed in the programme. The European semester process provides a valuable opportunity to engage in shared analysis with the European Commission and build understanding on key economic issues.

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