Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I said, the summer economic statement will be published in the coming months. It sets out the key anchor for budgetary policy each year and outlines the parameters within which discussions will take place for budget 2024. Each year, the summer economic statement sets out our plans for sustainable expenditure growth to provide for the delivery of investment in public services and infrastructure to support a strong, fair and equal society into the future. Such plans are key to addressing issues of wellbeing for our people. It is fair to say that every Minister with responsibility for a particular programme will always be conscious of wellbeing and the people they serve.

As the budgetary process is a whole-of-year process, the wellbeing initiative is being developed in a way that seeks to inform the process as a whole. Within this broader context, the Department published a working paper that sets out an approach to integrating the wellbeing framework into Ireland’s budgetary cycle. The overall approach seeks to introduce a wellbeing perspective at key points in the budgetary process. The use of a wellbeing perspective has been evident at the national economic dialogues over the past few years. At this year’s dialogue, the Minister will chair a breakout session that is particularly informed by a wellbeing perspective. This will provide participants with an opportunity to consider long-term economic, social and environmental factors as part of their discussions, which goes back to what Deputy Bruton raised.

Following on from last year, it is intended that an analysis of the wellbeing framework’s 35 indicators will be published. These indicators cover a range of quality-of-life issues. The 2023 analysis is being prepared by the Department of the Taoiseach and it is intended that it will be published ahead of the national economic dialogue. Last year’s summer economic statement included an annexe outlining the wellbeing framework and providing a summary of the analysis of the dashboard indicators. The Department is currently working with the Department of Finance on the content of this year's summer economic statement.

More broadly, the spending review process offers an opportunity to develop, present and publish policy analysis that applies a wellbeing perspective to existing public policies and programmes.

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