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

I propose to take Questions Nos 1 to 7, inclusive, together.

The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council published its annual competitiveness challenge report in September 2023. The council's report outlined 19 priority recommendations across a broad range of areas for Government consideration. These include enabling stronger productivity growth through research, development and innovation; reducing the cost of doing business in Ireland; accelerating progress on the usage and generation of energy in line with our climate targets; and significantly improving planning, development and the delivery of infrastructure.

On 29 November last year, the Government published a comprehensive formal response to the council's recommendations. This is the fourth year in which a formal response was issued by the Government to the competitiveness challenge report. This response was co-ordinated by my Department, drawing together material from all relevant Departments. In its response, the Government welcomed the advice and views of the council and agreed on the importance and relevance of its recommendations to Ireland's continuing competitiveness. The response outlines specific actions underway across different Departments in answer to each of the recommendations of the council. These include, for example, a national industrial strategy for offshore wind to be published in the first half of the year; more efficiency and certainty in the planning system through the enactment of the Planning and Development Bill 2023; the provision of additional resources to An Bord Pleanála and local authorities; greater use of modern methods of construction, MMC, in the construction of housing; an updated Pathways to Work strategy to be published shortly reflecting current labour market challenges; and stronger pathways from schools into further education and training and apprenticeships. These are just a few examples of actions the Government is taking to ensure continued improvements in the competitiveness and productivity of the Irish economy in the years ahead.

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