Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 15, inclusive, together.

Government has been working to implement the commitments in the programme for Government, which are advanced through the co-ordinating mechanisms of the Cabinet committee structure. The ten Cabinet committees recently established by Government reflect the core policy areas set out in the programme for Government on which it will continue to focus. Cabinet committees will meet regularly to accomplish their work. Strategy statements, currently being prepared by all Departments, will reflect the national priorities outlined in the programme for Government.

The Department of the Taoiseach continues to help advance the programme for Government commitments in the following priority policy areas: implementation of the Housing for All strategy, which is driving delivery of crucial housing-related commitments; the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, the publication of the Climate Action Plan 2023, the launch of the national retrofit plan, adoption of the carbon budget programme and agreement of the sectoral emissions ceilings; advancements in Sláintecare, the health reform programme, such as an implementation plan for regional health areas and the publication shortly of the Sláintecare progress report for 2022 and the 2023 action plan for Sláintecare; ongoing oversight of implementation of the third domestic, sexual and gender-based violence strategy; the ongoing development of the well-being framework for Ireland; publication of a report in June, detailing significant progress achieved under the 2021 economic recovery plan, which focused on driving a jobs-rich recovery and encouraging the transition towards a decarbonised and digital economy; driving the implementation of our commitments on a shared island, through the shared island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach; driving implementation of the New Decade, New Approach commitments, in conjunction with Departments North and South; strengthening British-Irish relations, including with London and the devolved governments; ongoing engagement with EU leaders to advance high-level objectives in the programme for Government, in particular, energy security, Brexit, economic issues and external relations, as well as pursuing a strong, collective response to Russia's war on Ukraine; ongoing oversight of the implementation of A Policing Service for our Future - the Government's plan to implement the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland; progressing citizens' assemblies, with the Dublin-related citizens' assembly having submitted its report to the Oireachtas in December and the biodiversity loss assembly following suit shortly, with two further citizens' assemblies, one dealing with matters relating to drug use and the other on the future of education, under consideration, which will be subject to Oireachtas agreement; and the publication of the Future of Media Commission report and the Government's response, which constitutes a strategic programme of work for public service content across media in Ireland. Work to implement the report's recommendations and develop a new funding model is under way.

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