Issue 620
Public Affairs Ireland
The Trusted Provider of Professional Learning and Development for the Public and Private Sector. www.pai.ie
This week, Minister for Education Norma Foley TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD and Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD launched the second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development – ESD to 2030 with accompanying Implementation Plan to 2026.
Education for Sustainable Development aims to ensure that by 2030 “all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development” (SDG 4.7).
ESD is both a target in itself under the United National Sustainable Development Goals (4.7) and also widely acknowledged as a key enabler for the achievement of all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The strategy spans the continuum of education in Ireland, from early learning and care to third level education and research, and extends beyond to engage with local communities, and youth groups through lifelong learning. It is accompanied by an Implementation Plan 2022 – 2026 with an interim review planned for the second half of 2026.
This week, Public Affairs Ireland launched our Climate: Taking Action series of professional development seminars.
PAI’s update's will ensure our clients are kept up to date on the latest insights, trends, case studies, and solutions for professionals across the Irish Public Sector for 2022 and beyond.
With key themes under the universal focus of positive climate action, these individual sessions will also address various other national economic challenges and examine how they interplay with other corporate mandates and the governments EU climate commitments:
Online Seminar 1:
Online Seminar 2:
Online Seminar 3:
Online Seminar 4:
Green Recruiting – Effective Resourcing of Green Skills (Date to be announced)
Online Seminar 5:
Galvanising Infrastructural Planning Systems & Achieving Climate Targets (Date to be announced)
Online Seminar 6:
Ethical Messaging – Effective Sustainability Communication to prevent Greenwashing (Date to be announced)
Seminars 4-6 will be live for booking next week. To register your interest in any of these programmes, please contact?[email protected]
From today, parents can now avail of seven weeks paid Parent’s Leave and Benefit, as part of measures introduced by Ministers Heather Humphreys and Roderic O’Gorman.
The measures will see the number of weeks that parents can take time off work, with financial support from the State, increase from five weeks to seven weeks.
The support applies to both parents and is part of the Government’s ambition to ensure that parents can enjoy meaningful quality time with their new-born in the knowledge they will be financially supported.
Parent’s Leave and Benefit is available to anyone with a child under two years of age or who has adopted a child within the last two years.
The take-up of Parent’s Leave and Benefit has increased three-fold since 2020.
In 2021, a total of 51,400 parents were supported – compared to just 16,700 in 2020.
Since the start of 2022, the total number of applications awarded reached over 28,000.
Speaking today, Minister Humphreys and Minister O’Gorman stated that they are committed to a further expansion of Parent’s Leave and Benefit to nine weeks in line with the Work Life Balance Directive.
On Tuesday, The Minister of State with Responsibility for Local Government and Planning at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Peter Burke, welcomed Cabinet approval to draft a general scheme to grant an entitlement of maternity leave to Councillors. The scheme offers the choice to appoint an individual as a temporary substitute in the place a Councillor who takes a period of maternity-related absence or is absent due to illness.
Currently female councillors are office-holders rather than employees and as such, they are not covered by the statutory framework for employees on issues such as maternity leave. By making a legislative provision for female councillors to access maternity leave under the Maternity Protection Act 1994, Councillors will be entitled to the same rights as female employees, and those with the relevant PRSI contributions.
Following the cabinet decision, Minister Burke said his proposals were 2-fold:
“After engaging with female Councillors, it was clear that a one-size-fits-all scheme would not suffice if it was to be viable. In the first instance, Councillors will soon have the choice have an individual fill in for them while they are on leave. This would apply for all votes, all meetings and all elements of the role. Previously, I was aware of situations where Councillors felt pressure to turn up to important votes or debates, when they needed to be at home caring for a new baby. It is not credible maternity leave if you cannot fully switch off from your work.
“Separately, if a Councillor does not want to have a substitute, but would like more administrative support, I am bringing forward regulations which will mean Councillors will be given funding for additional administrative assistance for the duration of their maternity leave. This will mean they can pay someone on a weekly basis to assist with secretarial work."
The policy proposals were also informed by an all-female working group established by Minister Burke last year, specifically to explore the provision of maternity leave and supports for county and city councillors. The group was made up of seven female councillors, nominated by the main political parties as well as an independent councillor, was representative of councillors from urban and rural constituencies and a demographic that had first-hand experiences of the issues facing women elected representatives.
The draft legislation is now being prepared and will be passed through the Oireachtas over the coming period.
Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, and Minister of State for the Department of Transport, Hildegarde Naughton, have welcomed the announcement today of over €13 million in co-funding for transport projects in Ireland under the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
The Connecting Europe Facility is a key EU funding instrument which aims to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment at European level.
The Irish projects receiving funding are as follows:
There was also Irish involvement in two multi-country projects which will demonstrate new air navigation systems and contribute to the efficiency and evolution of the aviation sector.
For further information on CEF,?please visit the department’s information page.