Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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22. To ask the Taoiseach To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability will meet next. [36565/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability oversees Programme for Government commitments relating to Children, Education and Disability and receives detailed reports on identified policy areas such as child poverty and well-being, local area disadvantage and the reform of disability services.

Disability services are a key focus for me and this Government, and that is why I have established this Cabinet Committee.

The Committee has a particular focus on the forthcoming new National Disability Strategy which will set out the blueprint for further realisation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The membership of the Cabinet Committee comprises the:

· Taoiseach;

· Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence;

· Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and for Transport;

· Minister for Health;

· Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth;

· Minister for Education;

· Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform;

· Minister for Finance;

· Minister for Social Protection and for Rural and Community Development;

· Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage; and,

· Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

The Minister of State with special responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion, and the Minister of State for Disability will be invited to participate in all of the Cabinet Committee meetings. Other Ministers or Ministers of State will be invited to participate as required.

To date, four meetings of the Cabinet Committee on Children and Education and Disability have taken place. It will meet again very soon.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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23. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on Environment and Climate Change will next meet. [36566/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Cabinet Committee on the Environment and Climate Action oversees implementation of the ambitious Programme for Government commitments in relation to the environment and climate change. It considers the wide range of issues that require action in Ireland’s transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and sustainable future.

The Committee has met on 22 occasions since July 2020, most recently on 10 June 2024. The next meeting of the Committee will be scheduled shortly.