Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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153. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the next national plan on business and human rights will be published given the last one expired in 2020. [18100/22]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland's first National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017-2020 was launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs towards the end of 2017. Ireland was the 19th country in the world to publish such a plan in response to the endorsement of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the Human Rights Council in 2011.

The implementation of this whole-of-government plan was overseen by an implementation group comprised of representatives of Government, civil society and business. Both the plan itself and the programme for Government committed to a review of implementation. This review was undertaken by the Department of Foreign Affairs in consultation with stakeholders during 2021. A draft report was considered at the special session of the multi-stakeholder implementation group on 31 May 2021. This forum included participation by a member of the UN working group on business and human rights, a business and human rights expert from the Danish Institute for Human Rights, and officials from three EU member state Ministries.

The Government noted the finalised review at its meeting on 3 December 2021. It is published on the Department of Foreign Affairs website: www.dfa.ie/media/dfa/ourrolepolicies/humanrights/Review-of-Implementation-of-National-Plan-on-Business-and-Human-Rights-2017-2020---for-website.docx.pdf

Discussions have commenced about how to bring a new plan forward. Officials in my Department will proactively engage with colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs to provide necessary input into a new plan, in particular in respect of the issue of Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence in line with the Programme for Government commitments in this regard.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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154. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to develop a national plan on business and human rights which considers whether there is a need for greater emphasis on mandatory due diligence. [18101/22]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Ireland's first National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017-2020 was launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs towards the end of 2017. Ireland was the 19th country in the world to publish such a plan in response to the endorsement of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the Human Rights Council in 2011.

The implementation of this whole-of-government plan was overseen by an implementation group comprised of representatives of Government, civil society and business. Both the plan itself and the programme for Government committed to a review of implementation. This review was undertaken by the Department of Foreign Affairs in consultation with stakeholders during 2021. The Government noted the finalised review at its meeting on 3 December 2021. It is published on the Department of Foreign Affairs' website: www.dfa.ie/media/dfa/ourrolepolicies/humanrights/Review-of-Implementation-of-National-Plan-on-Business-and-Human-Rights-2017-2020---for-website.docx.pdf

As regards a further National Plan, my Department will actively contribute to this important project, including in respect of Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence in line with the Programme for Government reference with regard to whether there is a need for greater emphasis on mandatory due diligence.

On the 23rd of February the European Commission published a proposal for a directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD). The proposal sets out obligations for companies regarding adverse human rights and environmental impacts arising from their operations, their subsidiaries and their value chains. Among the provisions is a requirement for relevant companies to integrate due diligence into their corporate policies and put in place a specific due diligence policy in relation to human rights, climate change & environmental issues. The due diligence measures must identify actual or potential adverse impacts and prevent/mitigate such impacts within a company’s own operations or those of their subsidiaries and from within their value chains. My Department is currently examining this proposal in detail.