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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.

The National Economic and Social Council, NESC, advises me on policy issues relating to sustainable economic, social and environmental development in Ireland. The NESC report found the agriculture and land use sector can increasingly be part of the solution on climate change and biodiversity loss. It emphasised an approach that is opportunity led to enable farmers to benefit from the significant benefits of transition for rural livelihoods and recognised that transition would entail significant costs that needed to be fairly and sustainably distributed to ensure no one is left behind.

The report stresses the importance of a just transition that is based on dialogue and is inclusive, and participation underpinned by a co-ordinated approach so that it can achieve real change in a balanced, inclusive and just way. The findings of the report offer a valuable contribution to our understanding of how best to reduce emissions in the area of agriculture and land use. It outlines a series of interventions and recommendations for implementing the principles of a just transition in practice.

Regarding NESC report No. 163, entitled Inequality and Well-Being Frameworks, this report considers how Ireland’s well-being framework, adopted as part of the 2020 programme for Government, can provide a deeper understanding of inequality and disadvantage in Ireland. The report proposes the well-being framework can help identify inequalities. It focuses on the distribution of well-being across Ireland, using data that are more disaggregated on the basis of gender, age, social class, disability and ethnic background. NESC also highlights the well-being framework’s use of new data in areas such as caring, housing tenure and environment to help further pinpoint particular concerns and inequalities across Ireland and elsewhere.

The Irish well-being framework is similar to others that have been developed internationally. While few well-being frameworks have yet to be fully embedded in policy decisions, the NESC report recognises the Irish well-being framework has been strong on raising awareness of well-being and inequalities in Ireland as well as highlighting new data in these areas. The report and its findings are being examined and used by the well-being unit in my Department.

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