Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The International, EU and Northern Ireland Division of my Department works on all international, EU and British-Irish and Northern Ireland affairs within the Department, including Brexit.

The Division assistsme in my international role including as a member of the European Council, and in my other EU and international engagements. The Division also provides advice and assistance to me regarding Northern Ireland Affairs and British Irish relations.

This includes assistance for my international engagements, including meetings of the European Council and other EU Summits, bilateral engagements with heads of Government of EU Member States and other countries and in respect of international affairs more generally.

The Division also assiststhe work of Cabinet Committee C, which deals with EU Affairs, Brexit, and International matters and works closely with other relevant departments, notably the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the economic division of his Department. [41821/18]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Economic Division in my Department assists me and the Government in developing and implementing policy:

- to deliver sustainable and regionally balanced economic growth and quality jobs, and

- to promote effective planning and delivery of infrastructural developments, including housing.

The Cabinet Committees and associated Senior Officials Groups backed by the Division help to deliver policies in these areas.

Cabinet Committee A deals with issues relating to the Economy, the Labour Market, Competitiveness, Productivity, rural development, the Digital Economy and Pensions.

Cabinet Committee D works to ensure a coordinated approach to the delivery and ongoing development of policy across the areas of infrastructure investment and delivery, housing, and climate action and provides political oversight with respect to Project Ireland 2040.

The Economic Division also:

- Monitors implementation of the Action Plan for Jobs;

- Leads Ireland's participation in the annual European Semester process;

- Prepares the annual National Risk Assessment which provides an opportunity to identify and consider potential economic risks and challenges on a structured basis; the 2018 report was published in July, and the National Risk Assessment for 2019 will commence shortly, and

- Is responsible for liaison with the Central Statistics Office.

The Division is also leading the preparation of Future Jobs in partnership with Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation. This is the Government's new economic initiative to ensure we are well placed to meet future challenges facing the Irish economy. Future Jobs will drive our development as a resilient, innovative, and globally connected economy, capable of coping with technological and other transformational changes ahead. It is aimed at enhancing productivity; labour market participation; innovation; skills and talent; and the low carbon economy and will be launched in early 2019.

A unit within the Economic Division works with the Minister of State with responsibility for Data Protection to ensure a ‘whole of Government’ approach to data protection and broader digital issues. In this regard, the unit provides the secretariat to the Inter-Departmental Committee on Data Issues and to the Government Data Forum.

The Division is currently leading, in collaboration with other relevant Departments, development of a new overarching National Digital Strategy to enable Ireland to maximise the societal and economic benefits from digitalisation.

The Division also provides me with briefing and speech material on economic and related policy issues.

Given its role, the Division works closely with colleagues in the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, and in other Departments, which have lead responsibility for specific policy areas.