Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 February 2021
3. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Taoiseach the status of the senior officials' group on the sustainable development goals; the membership of the group; the dates of meetings held since its inception; the scope of their work; and the Departments represented in the group. [9062/21]
View answerThe Government is firmly committed to achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These cut across policy areas within the responsibility of many Government Departments and agencies, and touch on both domestic and international policy approaches.
The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications has lead responsibility for promoting and overseeing the coherent implementation of the SDGs on a whole-of-Government basis, and the SDG implementation and reporting framework.
Officials in his Department lead this work, including through an Inter-Departmental Group which brings together officials from Departments responsible for measures associated with individual SDGs under Ireland’s National Implementation Plan.
Overall high-level political oversight of the SDGs is provided where necessary and appropriate at Government.
The Senior Officials’ Group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, and supported by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, meets as required to coordinate and monitor progress generally. It met most recently on 16 February 2021.
Membership is at senior official level (principal officer or assistant secretary) and all government departments are represented. Since its inception in 2017, it has met on the following dates: 17 October 2017; 7 February 2018; 22 May 2018; 22 November 2019; 16 February 2021.
The Interdepartmental Working Group, chaired by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, meets to prepare draft documentation, including implementation plans and progress reports. Over the same period, the IDWG has met on the following occasions:
1 November 2017; 19 November 2017; 30 November 2017; 16 January 2018; 17 October 2018; 10 January 2019; 8 April 2019; 17 June 2019; 10 October 2019; 22 October 2019 (workshop); 11 December 2019; 13 January 2020; 16 June 2020; 23 July 2020; and 3 September 2020.
