Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 October 2023
46. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will report on his recent participation in the inaugural meeting of the Responsible Business Forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44176/23]
View answerThe first meeting of the newly established Responsible Business Forum took place on Wednesday 27th September. This Forum is chaired by my colleague Minister Dara Calleary, with participation from various business representative bodies across different sectors.
The aim of the Forum is to provide a platform to discuss responsible business initiatives that are within the remit of my Department. These initiatives are already in place or are being developed at national and EU level which will impact how businesses operate when they fall within scope. Some of the initiatives include the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the Proposal for an EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence; and the Proposals for Regulations on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products, on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition, and the Proposal for a Regulation to Prohibit Products Made with Forced Labour.
The Forum allows for information sharing by capturing the views, concerns, and suggestions of the enterprise sector, as appropriate. The Forum will also help to facilitate consistent and coherent messaging from my Department, and to provide practical advice which will be critically important for businesses. Those businesses that adopt early the responsible practices contained in the initiatives, have a real opportunity to gain a competitive edge.
Meetings of the forum are conducted under Chatham House Rule but, to ensure transparency, the terms of reference for the forum, which includes the membership, will be uploaded to the Department’s website, along with minutes of the meetings, once agreed.
