Wellbeing Framework
President Joe Biden, who visited us last month, is famous for saying, “Don’t tell me what you … [care about]. Show me your budget, and I’ll tell you what you … [care about]”. That very much applies to the ongoing work on the Wellbeing Framework in the Department. It is an important piece work in breaking out of that siloed thinking we see inhibiting progress across Departments. Will a report on the wellbeing framework be included in the summer economic statement later this year so we can see where the money will be spent?
Deputy Patrick O’Donovan
As I said, the summer economic statement will be published in the coming months. It sets out the key anchor for budgetary policy each year and outlines the parameters within which discussions will take place for budget 2024. Each year, the summer economic statement sets out our plans for sustainable expenditure growth to provide for the delivery of investment in public services and infrastructure to support a strong, fair and equal society into the future. Such plans are key to addressing issues of wellbeing for our people. It is fair to say that every Minister with responsibility for a particular programme will always be conscious of wellbeing and the people they serve.
As the budgetary process is a whole-of-year process, the wellbeing initiative is being developed in a way that seeks to inform the process as a whole. Within this broader context, the Department published a working paper that sets out an approach to integrating the wellbeing framework into Ireland’s budgetary cycle. The overall approach seeks to introduce a wellbeing perspective at key points in the budgetary process. The use of a wellbeing perspective has been evident at the national economic dialogues over the past few years. At this year’s dialogue, the Minister will chair a breakout session that is particularly informed by a wellbeing perspective. This will provide participants with an opportunity to consider long-term economic, social and environmental factors as part of their discussions, which goes back to what Deputy Bruton raised.
Following on from last year, it is intended that an analysis of the wellbeing framework’s 35 indicators will be published. These indicators cover a range of quality-of-life issues. The 2023 analysis is being prepared by the Department of the Taoiseach and it is intended that it will be published ahead of the national economic dialogue. Last year’s summer economic statement included an annexe outlining the wellbeing framework and providing a summary of the analysis of the dashboard indicators. The Department is currently working with the Department of Finance on the content of this year’s summer economic statement.
More broadly, the spending review process offers an opportunity to develop, present and publish policy analysis that applies a wellbeing perspective to existing public policies and programmes.
Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh
The Minister of State referenced that we will integrate the wellbeing framework into key points in the budgetary process.
The logical key point in the budgetary process is the summer economic statement, which really begins to set out the parameters for the following budget in October. I would like an explicit statement based on the wellbeing framework to be included in that process.
Deputy Patrick O’Donovan
I thank the Deputy for the question. It is going to form not only a part of the summer economic statement but more broadly a part of the national economic dialogue. Returning to what the Deputy said a while ago in respect of open government, I think he will appreciate that the national economic dialogue is yet another example of such open government and the open government partnership. That dialogue will take place in the summer as well and it will provide people with varying views and perspectives in respect of concepts of wellbeing and what they believe is fundamental to having a good quality of life. It will allow all these issues to be thrashed out and it will inform the debate for this House, for committees, for Departments, and for Deputies from all the different parties in advance of the budgetary discussions that will take place internally in our own parties and thereafter on the floor of this House.
