There is only one agency, National Economic and Social Council under the remit of my Department.
In July 2012, the Government agreed to the recommendations of a Review of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) and the National Economic and Social Development Office undertaken by my Department. It was agreed to dissolve the NESDO but to retain the NESC as the statutory body.
The Review also recommended a number of measures to streamline and improve the operation of the NESC and achieve further efficiencies. Work to implement the outcome of the Review, including development of the necessary legislation, is underway in my Department.
In the meantime I have asked the Council to focus its work programme on more immediate and shorter term issues and to prepare more frequent and succinct reports reflecting the varying views of its members. In addition, sustainable development has been integrated into the work of the NESC as a result of the dissolution of Comhar which used to operate under the aegis of the Department of the Environment and Local Government.
Five NESC Secretariat staff have also been seconded to work on priority issues in the Department of the Taoiseach and Department of Finance.
NESC's 2013 Grant-in-Aid drawn down from my Department was €1.95 million, representing a 63% reduction in drawn down funding since 2008 and a 23% reduction since 2010.
