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

I propose to take Question Nos. 21 to 26, inclusive, together.

Cabinet committees meet as appropriate according to their work schedules. In addition to meetings of Cabinet committees, I often meet with Ministers on an individual basis to focus on particular issues, which are also regularly discussed at full Government meetings. From June to December 2022, the Cabinet committees on economic recovery and investment and on Europe met three times; the committee on housing met four times; the committees on health and on environment and climate change met twice; and the committees on social affairs and equality and on Brexit and Northern Ireland each held one meeting. There were no meetings of the committees on Covid-19 or on education.

Since January this year, the Cabinet committees on economy and investment and on EU and international affairs have each held one meeting; the committee on environment and climate change has met twice; the committees on health, on housing and on social affairs and public services have each met three times; and the committee on the humanitarian response to Ukraine and migration, has met five times. There have been no meetings yet of the committees on Brexit and Northern Ireland or on children and education. The new Cabinet committee on children and education will have a specific focus on child poverty and wellbeing and will oversee the functioning of the newly established child poverty and wellbeing unit. The Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination has met 17 times. It generally meets on Monday nights in advance of Cabinet meeting on Tuesday mornings. The Cabinet committees on Government co-ordination, on health, on social policy and public services, on EU and international affairs, on housing, on environment and climate change, and on children and education are expected to meet in the coming weeks.

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