Micheál Martin (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 14, inclusive, together.

The National Economic and Social Council advises me on strategic policy issues relating to sustainable economic, social and environmental development in Ireland. NESC is currently working in four main areas. With regard to Ireland’s future power system and economic resilience, this work investigates the impact of renewable energy targets in four areas: economic and enterprise opportunities; reliability of supply; energy costs; and export potential. The first in a series of reports on this topic was published on 18 April.

Work is also under way regarding artificial intelligence, including a focus on AI adoption and its impacts on Irish public services and the labour market. It will focus on issues such as transparency, ethics and equity and help build public trust and confidence around the challenges and opportunities of Al. It is expected that this work will be completed in quarter 4 of 2025.

Work is under way regarding household and communities’ perspectives on energy. This work focuses on the benefits, for households and communities, from new approaches to how we use and generate energy. It will consider protections for vulnerable groups, including those experiencing energy poverty. It is expected that this report will be published in quarter 2 of 2025.

Work on carrying and delivery capacity, in collaboration with the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council, will look at ways Ireland could improve its long-term planning, provision and delivery capacity in areas such as housing, infrastructure, healthcare and other services. It is expected that this report will be completed in quarter 4 of 2025. Work on this programme will be ongoing throughout the rest of 2025.

In addition, NESC recently published a report, Deepening Compact Growth in Ireland. The Government welcomes the publication of the report, which was published on 6 May. The report makes several recommendations to make more progress on compact growth. Compact growth is Government policy, as stated in the national planning framework, Ireland’s long-term strategic spatial plan for the period to 2040. The Government confirms its commitment to this objective. Many of the commitments made in the programme for Government will contribute to compact growth, for example, the creation of a new strategic fund to invest in infrastructure, acquire land, assemble sites and de-risk sites in existing towns and cities to maximise their potential growth.

See this speech in context