Written Answers Nos. 1-83
58. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Taoiseach if consideration has been given to developing public information or civic education materials outlining the institutional, economic and constitutional realities associated with Irish unification, to ensure any future debate is evidence-based. [62803/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe approach of the Government in relation to Irish unity is guided by Article 3 of the Constitution, as amended by the people in 1998.
The Government respects and affirms everyone’s right on this island to make the case for the constitutional future for Northern Ireland they wish to see - whether they are nationalist, unionist or do not identify with either tradition.
In the event of a future referendum within the consent provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government would make all necessary preparations in accordance with the terms of the Constitution and the procedures of the Agreement.
The Programme for Government affirms the Government’s commitment to the unity of the Irish people, and to a sustained focus on and investment in reconciliation, developing the three sets of relationships recognised in the Good Friday Agreement to unlock the full potential of our island.
Through programmes such as the Shared Island Initiative, the Government is moving forward with the vital task of building a lasting reconciliation between all communities on this island. This is backed by the Government’s Shared Island Fund, now a €2 billion commitment out to 2035.
With over €600m now allocated from the Shared Island Fund the Government is taking sustained, strategic action and investment to improve people’s lives and strengthen connections across the island of Ireland for our shared future.
In April, I announced the ‘Shared Home Place’ programme as a new dimension of the Initiative to commence in 2026, which will be open to people from every corner of the island to build new connections through our place-based heritage.
This new programme will engage with the contributions of all traditions across the island of Ireland, including Irish, British, Anglo-Irish and Ulster Scots traditions - recognising how these are an integral part of the heritage of every county today and crucial to how we approach and build our future.
The programme will also recognise and include the greater ethnic and cultural diversity of the island now, which is a source of richness and strength in society, and engage with diaspora communities in Britain, the United States, and further afield.
Shared Home Place will build on the sustained programme of all-island dialogue and engagement that the Government of Ireland has supported, including through the Shared Island Dialogue series which involved more than 4,000 representatives, and the Shared Island Youth Forum of 80 representatives who deliberated over a year and in 2024 produced an impressive statement of their vision and values for a shared future on this island.
The Shared Island research programme is providing high-quality evidence and analysis of the whole island, on economic, social, cultural and political issues.
In April, I launched a new phase of my Department’s joint Shared Island research programme with the Economic and Social Research Institute, with a focus on strategic policy and cooperation considerations for the island, and research projects for 2025-26 are underway. This includes a new annual report series by the ESRI assessing economic trends across the island of Ireland, the first of which will be published next week.
59. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with faith and non-confessional groups to discuss a structured dialogue process. [63182/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI met with representatives of Faith and Non-Confessional groups in Government Buildings on 1st September 2025 to exchange ideas on an agenda and working methods for a structured dialogue.
At that meeting, we discussed topics including social cohesion, reconciliation, and proposals for an open, transparent, and regular engagement with Faith and Non-Confessional Groups. I very much welcomed the constructive and engaged discussion and I noted that in today’s busy world, with many competing technologies and platforms, it is vital that we create and protect spaces that allow for open, respectful, and dignified debate and discussion on issues of mutual interest and concern. Indeed, I gave a commitment to progressing that meaningful engagement over the coming weeks and months.
In furtherance of that commitment, officials in the Protocol and Civic Policy Unit of the Department of the Taoiseach are engaging with the Centre for Religion, Human Values, and International Relations in Dublin City University. The Centre is working with Faith and Non-Confessional Groups in order to develop an agreed format and schedule for the structured dialogue process with a view to presenting recommendations before the end of the year.
60. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on EU and International Affairs will next meet. [63507/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government 2025, Securing Ireland’s Future, recognises the importance of Cabinet Committees to the policy development and oversight work of Government.
The Cabinet Committee on EU and International Affairs was established by the Government on 18 February 2025.
Its role is to oversee implementation of Programme for Government commitments in relation to the European Union, including preparation of Ireland’s Presidency in the second half of 2026, and international issues.
The Cabinet Committee is scheduled to next meet on Monday 8 December in advance of the meeting of the European Council due to take place on 18 December. It is expected that discussion at the latter meeting will include the topics of Ukraine; the Middle East; European Defence and Security; the next Multiannual Financial Framework; enlargement and reform; migration; geo-economy and competitiveness.
80. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Taoiseach if it would be possible for the CSO, drawing on SILC data, to create a new measurement of ‘consistent poverty (after housing costs)’, which would combine households at risk of poverty after housing costs and households in material deprivation, in the same fashion as the existing measurement ‘consistent poverty. [62184/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe At Risk of Poverty (AROP) rate is derived from the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) and measures the proportion of people whose equivalised disposable income is below 60 per cent of the national median income. In Ireland, the AROP indicator is a key national poverty measure and is calculated before housing costs, in line with Eurostat requirements, to ensure comparability between Member States.
In addition to the standard measure of at risk of poverty, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) produces a supplementary national indicator known as the At Risk of Poverty rate after Rent and Mortgage Interest. This indicator adjusts disposable income to account for housing payments that are directly linked to housing tenure, namely rent and mortgage interest. It provides an additional perspective on poverty by reflecting the impact of these housing costs on household disposable income.
The At Risk of Poverty after Rent and Mortgage Interest indicator is defined as the proportion of people whose equivalised net disposable income, after the deduction of rent and mortgage interest payments, falls below 60 per cent of the median equivalised net disposable income. It is published annually by the CSO alongside the main SILC results. The indicator is not part of the harmonised EU set of social inclusion indicators but is recognised nationally as an important supplementary measure for understanding poverty in Ireland.
In constructing the At Risk of Poverty after Rent and Mortgage Interest indicator, only rent and mortgage interest are deducted from disposable income. Rent is included because it is a regular, essential and measurable expense directly related to securing accommodation. Mortgage interest is included because it represents the recurring cost of housing for owner-occupiers with a mortgage. Mortgage capital (principal) repayments are excluded because they represent asset accumulation rather than consumption expenditure. Other housing-related expenses such as utilities, insurance or maintenance are not deducted.
The At Risk of Poverty after Rent and Mortgage Interest indicator is conceptually similar to the broader At Risk of Poverty after Housing Costs measure used in other countries, such as the United Kingdom. The broader At Risk of Poverty after Housing Costs, deduct a wider set of housing costs from net disposable income before calculating the risk of poverty. This indicator is currently not published by the CSO. The CSO is committed to meeting the data needs of users and if At Risk of Poverty after Housing Costs is requested the CSO will endeavour to develop such a measure and make it available to the public. Once developed, the At Risk of Poverty after Housing Costs could be utilised to produce a national estimate of Consistent Poverty after Housing Costs and made available to the public.
Eurostat publish estimates of At Risk of Poverty rates after housing costs for member states based upon EU-SILC on their database. This indicator is available for Ireland using Eurostat’s income definitions, which differ slightly from our national income definitions. The Consistent Poverty rate after Housing Costs is not however produced by Eurostat.
Oversight of indicator developments from EU-SILC in Ireland takes place through the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). Members of the TAG include the CSO and representatives from the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the Economic and Social Research Institute, academics and other experts as required. The group provides technical and policy advice on survey content, indicator definitions, and methodological issues. It also reviews proposals for new or supplementary indicators to ensure national relevance and compliance with EU-SILC standards.
81. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach for an update on his Department's plans to coordinate a range of actions aimed at regulatory reform. [67610/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegulation – and the extent of any regulatory or administrative burden – has recently become a greater focus at EU level and nationally as a means to further enhance competitiveness.
At an EU level, both simplification and implementation are important Commission priorities. The Commission is striving to simplify and lighten the administrative burden of EU regulations to ensure they are proportionate, stable, coherent, and technology neutral.
Likewise, our national regulatory framework is a central focus for Government as we strive to support competitiveness at a time of international economic uncertainty.
In line with the Programme for Government, we published an Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity on the 10th of September this year.
The Action Plan includes actions across Government to ensure development of a more effective regulatory system which will support economic growth.
These actions reflect priority areas where targeted public policy intervention can have the greatest impact. These include:
• a red tape challenge to reduce regulation for SMEs;
• application of the SME test by Government Departments to all measures, in particular to policy initiatives where it is proposed to increase costs on small business;
• expediting the Environment Miscellaneous Provisions Bill;
• commencing reforms under the Planning and Development Act 2024 to enhance delivery of infrastructure; and
• implementing the outstanding recommendations from the Review of the Administration of Civil Justice: Review Group Report.
The actions are framed to align with national strategic objectives and ensure that Ireland’s regulatory system is equipped to deliver good long-term economic and social outcomes.
There is already much activity underway to reduce the regulatory burden across Government.
For example, the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is undertaking a programme of work with his agencies to simplify and streamline processes and reduce duplication to eliminate unnecessary administrative burdens on businesses.
We have established a Cost of Business Advisory Forum where business owners and representative bodies can speak directly to decision-makers about the real-world impact of regulations, fees, and operational challenges. The work of the Forum is underway.
Increased regulatory burden has also been identified as a barrier to infrastructure development and delivery. Minister Chambers, supported by the work of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, is this week publishing a Plan which will include extensive regulatory reforms aimed at accelerating delivery of critical infrastructure.
Minister McEntee, in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, together with relevant Departments, has been engaging with the simplification Omnibus packages put forward by the Commission on a range of policy areas, most recently the Commission’s digital simplification Omnibus package published last week.
As outlined in the Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity, my Department will play a coordinating role across these different regulatory reform initiatives, including the establishment of a central Economic Regulators Forum.
In taking forward this work, my Department will work with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and other Departments to identify further areas of focus for regulatory reform in the time ahead.
82. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Taoiseach the plans there are by Government to reduce the number of quangos and strip out the amassed red tape and bureaucracy that exists, in order to allow the delivery of projects in health, housing, education, agriculture, and so on, in a more timely, efficient and customer-friendly manner [68392/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraResponsibility for the execution and delivery of projects rests with the relevant line departments. To support the delivery of key infrastructure across Ireland, the Government today published "Accelerating Infrastructure - Report and Action Plan", which has been prepared and will be overseen by Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. This also includes thirty specific, time-bound measures designed to remove barriers and represent a transformative approach to streamlining development processes and significantly reducing delivery timelines. The Report and Action Plan highlight the complex and interconnected processes to deliver infrastructure projects successfully. In recognition of this complexity, the actions set out in the plan are designed to operate in a coordinated and integrated manner, ensuring a streamlined and effective approach to delivery.
83. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Taoiseach further to Parliamentary Question No. 2148 of 4 November 2025 to the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science in which he confirmed that, although not required by statute, his Department voluntarily publishes its annual consultancy spending online in the interest of transparency and accessibility, if his Department operates a similar practice; if not, whether consideration will be given to adopting this approach as a transparency measure consistent with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and wider open-government principles. [68466/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraNeither the Department of the Taoiseach nor the National Economic and Social Development Office (NESDO) - the only body under the aegis of the Department of the Taoiseach - has incurred expenditure on external consultancy in the past five years.
In the case of the Department, such expenditure - were it to be incurred - would be reported in the Department's annual Appropriation Account and the Department's Annual Report.
In the case of NESDO, such expenditure - were it to be incurred - would be reported in the NESDO Annual Report.
The Department's 2024 Appropriation Account is available at www.audit.gov.ie/en/publications/appropriation%20accounts/appropriation-accounts-2024.html.
The Department's 2024 Annual Report is available at www.gov.ie/en/department-of-the-taoiseach/publications/department-of-the-taoiseach-annual-report-2024.
Annual reports of the National Economic and Social Development Office are available at www.nesc.ie/publications/.
