Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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55. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the work of his Department with regard to the sustainable development goals; and his views on whether there will be sufficient adequate data. [18006/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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As Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, I have lead responsibility for promoting and overseeing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a whole-of-Government basis, and for the establishment of a robust SDG implementation and reporting framework.

In line with this whole-of-Government approach, all Ministers retain responsibility for implementing those SDGs relating to issues under their areas of responsibility.  Therefore, in addition to my coordination role, I also have responsibility for: Goal 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy, Goal 12 on Sustainable Consumption and Production, and Goal 13 on Climate Action.

A Senior Officials’ Group (SOG) established to coordinate and monitor SDG implementation is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, with support provided by my Department. My Department has also established an SDG Interdepartmental Working Group, comprised of representatives from all Departments.  

My Department has prepared Ireland's first SDG National Implementation Plan in consultation with other Departments through the SDG Interdepartmental Working Group.

I will formally launch the SDG National Implementation Plan on Thursday, 26 April 2018.

Under this Plan, there are 19 Actions to support implementation of the 2030 Agenda, for which my Department has overall responsibility.

My Department is currently preparing, in consultation with other Departments though the SDG Interdepartmental Working Group, Ireland’s first Voluntary National Review, a SDG progress report to be submitted to the United Nations.

I will present Ireland’s Voluntary National Review to the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July 2018. 

In preparing the Voluntary National Review, Ireland will report progress using available official data provided by the CSO. The CSO have provided data for all EU indicators, which my Department will incorporate into the Voluntary National Review. I consider this to be an appropriate level of data to assess Ireland’s implementation and to provide a comprehensive report to the UN.