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

I propose to take question Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together.

The Cabinet committee on the economy and investment was re-established in January 2023. It met twice last year, most recently on 16 November. The next meeting of the committee is scheduled for 15 February 2024.

Membership of the committee comprises: the Taoiseach; the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence; the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, who is also Minister for Transport; and the Ministers for Finance, Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Other Ministers or Ministers of State are invited to participate as required.

The committee oversees the implementation of the programme for Government commitments aimed at sustainable economic recovery, investment and job creation, including Harnessing Digital, our national digital strategy. We continue to see good domestic economic performance, more people are at work than ever before, and female participation is at an all-time high. Our economic model continues to be founded on a well-established and successful pro-enterprise policy framework, providing a stable and sustainable regulatory and tax environment, with sound management of the public finances and significant investment in the infrastructure and skills required to ensure our competitiveness. As with all policy areas, economic issues are regularly discussed at full meetings of the Government, where all formal decisions are made.

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