Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 February 2021
5. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when a new national implementation plan on the sustainable development goals will be produced; when the associated national stakeholder forum process will be restarted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7560/21]
View answer6. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of lead and stakeholder Departments for each of the sustainable development goals, as committed to in the national implementation plan on the sustainable development goals 2018-20; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7561/21]
View answer7. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of times and the dates on which the interdepartmental working group on the sustainable development goals has met in 2019, 2020 and 2021; the implementation plan actions and commitments addressed in each of the meetings of the interdepartmental working group in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7562/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 7, inclusive, together.
The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a significant and ambitious policy agenda that concerns all Government Departments.
The first National Implementation Plan 2018-2020, published in 2018, set out Ireland’s strategy to achieve the SDGs. The complexity and interconnectedness of the SDGs requires continued and regular cross-government engagement to support effective and coherent implementation. To this end, a priority in developing the first SDG National Implementation Plan was establishing an effective governance structure that would oversee delivery of the 2030 Agenda from a whole-of-government perspective. A Senior Officials’ Group on the SDGs was established, and is assisted by an SDG Interdepartmental Working Group, with both groups comprising representatives from all Government Departments. Ten meetings of the Interdepartmental Working Group have taken place to date, with six meetings in 2019 and four further meetings in 2020. Further details are set out in the table below.
An important element of the first Plan is the SDG Policy Map and SDG Matrix. The SDG Matrix details the lead and stakeholder Department for each of the SDGs and 169 targets. The SDG Policy Map identifies national sectoral policies against the 17 Goals and 169 related targets. Both are available as Annexes to the Plan at:
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/7cde9f-the-sustainable-development-goals-national-implementation-plan-2018-/.
The SDG Policy Map enhances the ability of stakeholders to track Ireland’s implementation of specific SDGs and associated targets, and to assess Ireland’s response to the SDGs for potential policy gaps. It also supports and enhances cross-Government engagement in implementing each of the Goals and targets.
Ensuring and improving policy coherence across the Goals is a critical feature and area for consideration in developing a revision of the National Implementation Plan. The SDG Policy Map is currently being revised and enhanced to facilitate further engagement and coherency. As part of this process, the lead and stakeholder Departments for each of the Goals and targets is also being reviewed. The enhanced SDG Policy Map will be a key feature of the new Plan.
A roadmap and timeline for completion of the new Plan is currently being finalised, with publication envisaged later this year. The SDG Stakeholder Forum will remain an important feature in the development of, and implementation of the next Plan. Scheduling of the next Stakeholder Forum meeting will be informed by the finalised roadmap.
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IDWG Meeting |
SDG Implementation Plan Actions Discussed |
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10/01/2019
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· SDG Stakeholder Forum ·Communications Strategy · SDG Champions · CSO Geohive SDG Platform |
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08/04/2019
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· SDG Stakeholder Forum · National SDG Champions · UN High Level Political Forum in July and Head Of State SDG Summit ·SDG Communications Protocol |
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19/06/2019
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·Communications Protocol ·UN HLPF ·SDG Stakeholder Forum |
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16/08/2019
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·SDG Stakeholder Forum ·SDG Champions ·Communications Protocol ·UN Head of State SDG Summit ·CSO Geohive SDG Platform |
|
10/10/2019
|
·SDG Stakeholder Forum ·Next National Implementation Plan ·Review of Actions ·SDG Champions ·SDG Working Groups ·Policy Coherence |
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11/12/2019
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·SDG Stakeholder Forum ·Senior Officials Group ·Next National Implementation Plan |
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13/01/2020
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·National Implementation Plan 2020 ·UN High-Level Political Forum ·Stakeholder Forum |
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16/06/2020
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·UN High-Level Political Forum ·SDG Stakeholder Forum 2020 ·SDG Champions Programme |
|
23/07/2020 |
·UN High-Level Political Forum ·Stakeholder Forum 2020 ·SDG Champions Programme ·Statements of Strategies – including SDGs |
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03/09/2020 |
·National Implementation Plan – Next steps · SDG Stakeholder Forum 2020 |
