Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 July 2021
514. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the details of the social impact assessments carried out by his Department and public bodies and agencies under his remit since 1 January 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37295/21]
View answerSocial Impact Assessment (SIA) is an evidence based framework that allows my Department to more accurately analyse the demographic profile of its students, and other citizens who rely on its services, and to assess how they are impacted by its policy recommendations.
This framework significantly adds to the prevailing budgetary impact assessment structures administered by the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform (including Equality Budgeting), Finance, Employment Affairs and Social Protection and externally by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) alongside the annual Spending Review programme, details of which can be found at www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/7dc2b1-spending-review/.
An overview of the Social Impact Assessments carried out across all Government Departments, including the publication last year of a study in relation to the Student Grant Scheme, is available at www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/615fe5-social-impact-assessment-framework/.
