Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2021
536. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the specific sustainable development goal targets her Department is responsible for implementing; the progress made in implementing those targets since 26 April 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25774/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraOverall political oversight for national implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is provided through the Cabinet, with each Minister having specific responsibility for implementing individual SDG targets related to their Ministerial functions. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) has responsibility for promoting the SDGs, and for overseeing coherent implementation across Government.
The first National Implementation Plan (2018-2020), published in 2018, set out Ireland’s strategy to achieve the SDGs both domestically and internationally. An important element of this Plan is the SDG Policy Map and Matrix, which identified the lead and stakeholder Departments for each of the Goals and targets and also mapped national sectoral policies against the 17 SDGs and all 169 related targets.
The SDG Policy Map and Matrix enhances the ability of stakeholders to track Ireland’s implementation of specific SDGs 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. This policy map has recently been updated and is available online at www.gov.ie.
Under the Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan 2018-2020, the Department of Social Protection was given lead and stakeholder responsibility for several targets, focusing on the areas of social protection, poverty and inequality, and employment activation.
Social transfers have an important role in reducing poverty and inequality. In this area, my Department has lead or stakeholder responsibility for Sustainable Development Goal targets 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 10.1 and 10.4. Budgets 2018 through 2021 have all been progressive, with a strong emphasis on supporting the most vulnerable. This includes a €10 cumulative increase in weekly social welfare rates; a €30 cumulative increase to the Working Family Payment for families of up to three children; the introduction of a upper qualified child rate for children aged 12 and over, and increasing this rate from €29.80 for all children to €38 for children under 12 and €45 for children aged 12 and over; and a 100% Christmas Bonus since December 2018. Progress in this area is also being delivered through implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, for which I chair the steering group, among other Government strategies.
Currently, my Department also has lead or stakeholder responsibility for targets 4.4, 8.5, 8.6 and 8.b, which focus on training and labour market activation. While employment has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions, Government will shortly publish Pathways to Work 2021-2025. This strategy will be the next iteration of Government's national employment services strategy and will also be the successor to the Action Plan for Jobless Households.
My Department also contributes to target 5.4 through supporting carers. In Budget 2020, the number of hours that a carer can work or study every week outside the home and still get Carer’s Benefit or Carer’s Allowance increased from 15 hours to 18.5 hours. This was further supported by an announcement in Budget 2021 that the Carer’s Support Grant will increase by €150 to €1,850 per year from June 2021.
Finally, my Department’s provision of the Fuel Allowance supports the delivery of target 7.1. Since the beginning of April 2018, the Fuel Allowance season has been extended by two weeks and the weekly rate has increased from €22.50 to €28. These measures, combined with other targeted budgetary measures listed above, ensure that low income households are not regressively impacted by increases in carbon tax. Research by the ESRI in October 2020 confirms that interventions of this nature will reverse the regressive impact of the carbon tax and will actually lead to a reduction in overall poverty, particularly child poverty.
My Department has been actively engaged in both the Senior Officials Group and Interdepartmental Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals, and will continue to play an important role in Ireland achieving its SDG targets by 2030.
I thank the Deputy for her question and hope this clarifies the matter.
