Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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25. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the work of the public service, justice and police reform division of his Department. [20422/23]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The role of the Social Policy and Public Service Reform Division is to assist me, as Taoiseach, and the Government, in fulfilling Programme for Government objectives to help create a socially inclusive and fair society.

Specifically, the Division assists the work of the newly established Cabinet Committees, as follows:

• the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Public Services and the associated senior officials' group, oversee Programme for Government commitments in the areas of social policy, with a particular focus on equality and integration, and public service reform;
• the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and the associated senior officials' group, oversee Programme for Government commitments in the area of children and education, including further and higher education, with a specific focus on child poverty and well-being, and tackling local area disadvantage;
• the Cabinet Committee on Health and the associated senior officials' group, oversee Programme for Government commitments regarding health and health system reforms including Sláintecare, reform of disability services and development of mental health services. This Cabinet Committee will also maintain an overview of public health, including the impact of COVID-19 and the cross-government response;
• the Cabinet Committee on the Humanitarian Response to Ukraine and the associated senior officials’ group, oversee the whole-of-Government humanitarian response to assist people from Ukraine who have sought temporary protection here.

• assists the work of the Civil Service Management Board which oversees Civil Service Renewal and other matters
• has departmental oversight of the National Economic and Social Council
• advances the Dublin North-East Inner City Initiative, including through assisting the work of the Programme Implementation Board, programme office, and oversight group
• has responsibility for managing the Child Poverty and Well-Being Programme Office which is bringing strategic leadership and enhanced accountability to these areas
• leads on the oversight of A Policing Service for our Future
• assists public service reform through membership of the public service leadership board and public service management group
• provides me with briefing and speech material on social policy and public service reform issues, and
• participates in relevant interdepartmental committees and other groups.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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26. To ask the Taoiseach to provide an update on the work of the child poverty and well-being unit within his Department. [20134/23]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Our vision is to make Ireland the best country in Europe to be a child. The role of the Department of the Taoiseach will be to co-ordinate and focus Government action.

Poverty restricts a child’s opportunity. I recently informed cabinet colleagues that the new Child Poverty and Well-Being Programme Office has been established. The areas it will focus on are as follows:

·Income Supports and Joblessness

·Early Learning and Childcare

·Reducing the Cost of Education

·Family Homelessness

·Consolidating and Integrating Family & Parental Support Health and Well-being

·Enhancing Participation in Culture Arts and Sport for Children and Young People Affected by Poverty.

The initial focus of the Office will be on drawing up a sequenced work programme for these areas. There has been broad engagement with civil society organisation, Government Departments and statutory agencies to identify the policy areas for the new Programme Office.

The Office will operate within the Social Policy and Public Service Reform Division of the Department of the Taoiseach, which has developed the work to date. Assignment to the new dedicated programme team is well underway.

Further work and engagement is ongoing to inform the scope and programme of work of the Programme Office. The aim is to ensure that the Programme Office brings added value, as well as strategic leadership and enhanced accountability, to the Child Poverty agenda and makes a tangible difference to the lives of children and families.