Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach his key priorities in his Department for the next three months. [43830/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department's primary role is to support me as Taoiseach, and the Government, in delivering on our programme of work.

During the next three months, my Department will therefore support delivery of significant Government policy objectives including:

- development of a Ten-Year Capital Investment Plan alongside the National Planning Framework;

- ensuring that Ireland's key Brexit priorities continue to be strongly represented in the ongoing negotiations between the EU27 and the UK;

- supporting the peace process and restoration of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland;

- developing the Action Plan for Jobs 2018, including specific responses to the challenge of Brexit;

- finalising a roadmap for pensions reform;

- implementing Rebuilding Ireland to increase housing supply and tackle homelessness;

- developing the Government's response to the Slaintecare Report.

These are just a few of the many policies which will be progressed over that period.

In most of these areas, the primary responsibility lies with the relevant line Departments. The role of my Department is to help ensure that policies are developed and implemented in a coherent way across different Departments, and to support me in my role as head of Government. This includes my role as chair of Government meetings and Cabinet Committees, attendance at the European Council, and other national and international engagements.

My Department will also seek to ensure effective communication of Government policy in these and other areas, in particular through the new Strategic Communications Unit.

My Department is also currently updating its Statement of Strategy to reflect some of the changes that have taken place in recent months following my appointment as Taoiseach. This includes the establishment of a new configuration of Cabinet Committees, and some changes in the functions of Ministers of State in the Department