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

The well-being framework was a major initiative of this new Government and assesses our performance as a country across 35 different indicators, including economic, social and environmental and I believe there is a cultural element too. We are doing well on 25 of those indicators and we are not doing as well as we would like on eight. It confirms the view of the UN and others that Ireland is one of the best places in the world in which to live. However, there is always room for improvement. The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, has raised the issue of having a 36th indicator on the Irish language and culture and Deputy Ó Cathasaigh has made the same point now. Over the course of the next few months I am planning on organising a half-day seminar led by the Department of the Taoiseach to review the outcome of the framework.

It will also look at how we might change and improve the framework. Certainly, that can be part of it. This is something we will consider and that can, perhaps, form part of the framework for next year.

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