Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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993. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the membership of the Trading for Impact Stakeholder Engagement Group; the terms of reference of the group; the details of the meetings of the group to date, and the dates of same; the date of the next meeting of the group; when the minutes of meetings will be made available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51196/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Trading for Impact, the National Social Enterprise Policy 2024-2027, represents an ambitious step forward in the Government’s ongoing commitment to social enterprise. Building upon the foundation laid by its predecessor, it puts forward a vision designed to help cultivate and sustain strong, impactful social enterprises in Ireland.

Minister Buttimer was in attendance for the inaugural meeting of the Trading for Impact Stakeholder Engagement Group (TFISEG) took place on June 11, 2025. The second meeting of the Group took place on September 25, 2025, where the minutes of the first meeting were approved. The minutes of this meeting are now available on Gov.ie and all subsequent minutes of the TFISEG will be published there, when approved.

The roles and responsibilities of the group, its membership and terms of reference are as follows:

Role and Responsibilities of the Trading for Impact Stakeholder Engagement Group

1. The Engagement Group (the Group) will be chaired by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht which has responsibility for social enterprise policy in Ireland.
2. The role of the Group is to advise, monitor and co-ordinate the overall implementation of the Trading for Impact National Social Enterprise Policy 2024-2027 and, in particular, progress on the delivery of the individual measures (i.e. commitments) set out in the policy.
3. The Group will provide feedback, guidance and advice to the Department in relation to the implementation of the policy, as well as early warning regarding potential obstacles in delivery of the policy.
4. The Group will also provide insights into developments, opportunities and emerging trends in the social enterprise ecosystem in Ireland and internationally (if appropriate).
5. The Group may be invited by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to lead on, or participate in, the delivery of some measures in the policy. In such cases, the Department will retain ultimate responsibility for the output.
6. The Group may establish sub-groups to support its work in specific areas. Members of the Group may participate in any sub-group relevant to their area of interest or expertise. Sub-groups may also include members external to the group but must include at least one member of the group who will be responsible for reporting back to the group. Terms of Reference for sub-groups will be established by the Group.
7. Members of the Group are nominated for the term of the policy.
8. The Group will be reviewed after two years, i.e. 2027.
9. Membership of the Group is voluntary and unremunerated. However, reasonable expenses necessarily incurred in the attendance at meetings by members whose expenses are not ordinarily refundable from any other source may have such reasonable expenses refunded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht in accordance with public sector guidelines.
10. The role of members of the Group is to represent the interests of the breadth of Social Enterprise in Ireland and not any individual organisational positions and/or interests.