Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 October 2023
65. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Taoiseach to outline the work completed on implementation of the Well-being Framework Policy post-Budget 2023 and prior to Budget 2024; the data sets used in that process; the outcomes of those processes, in tabular form [45485/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s Well-being Framework was launched in July 2021. It consists of 11 dimensions which are made up of different aspects of well-being and is supported by a dashboard of 35 indicators (available on the CSO website).
Analysis of these indicators is published annually since 2022, and the 2023 analysis was published on 9 June this year.
The Government has committed to featuring the Well-being Framework at relevant points in the Budgetary cycle. For Budgets 2023 and 2024 the Well-being Framework was a theme at the National Economic Dialogue, was part of the Summer Economic Statement, and associated analysis also featured in the publication ‘Budget 2024: Beyond GDP – Quality of Life Assessment’ as published on Budget Day.
The development of the Framework is led by the Department of Taoiseach and jointly sponsored by the Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. This is a whole of Government initiative and an Inter-Departmental Group (which includes representatives from all Departments), chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, drives implementation of the Well-being Framework across Government. Departments are progressing work to further embed the approach into policy and decision-making. Examples of this include the development of sectoral indicator sets, and analysis of complex policy issues or cohorts using the Well-being Framework.
The Department of Public Expenditure, NDP delivery, and Reform is working to embed a well-being perspective into policy analysis and expenditure decisions. As outlined by the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in his budget statement to Dáil Éireann last week, his Department intends to publish in the coming days a paper that utilises the Well-being Framework to provide a cross-governmental presentation of the selected new measures set out in the Expenditure Report.
The pace of the development and integration of the Irish Well-being Framework reflects well in comparison with other countries. The Government will continue to review, identify and develop data and methods to support further use and integration of the Well-being Framework. As part of this, my Department is arranging a half-day seminar on Ireland’s Well-being Framework in November.
